The Lost and the Unknown
by Kittycat31
Summary: A Cardassian woman struggles to regain her memory and solve the mystery of what led her to lose it. Will finding her long lost brother provide the key she needs?
1. The photograph

1. The photograph

"Look, Leliyani, I do not know a way out of this desert but-"

"What, are you afraid to admit defeat? Just say it already! Both of us are going to end up starving to death in this part of Cardassia!" The fourteen year old Leliyani retorted.

"We do not know that!" Her brother countered.

Before she knew it, tears were streaming from her eyes. "Are you so blind as to not get the message? Our brother _died_!" Her remaining sibling immediately glanced away in controlled grief. "I am aware of the trouble we are going through, but it does not stop us from finding a way out of here!"

Leliyani shook her head, angrily brushing the tears that were riding her cheeks. "We cannot get out, do you not understand? Spending the whole time traveling and wandering will only cause us to die quicker!"

"So you are telling me that you would rather stand here and rot away than making your best effort to survive?" Her brother shouted, "You disappoint me, Leliyani."

"So do you," She shot back.

His eyes flashed. She continued, "Believe me, I wish we could survive. After all, we are the only ones in this family left!" Her brother sighed. "I am not going to give up this easily! We are going to live, and I will make sure of that."

Leliyani sobbed harder than she had ever done before. She knew that her brother was trying to keep his emotions in check. "We should have never arrived in this desert in the first place!" He bellowed. Leliyani's mind boiled in exasperation. "Oh what about that," She sneered, "How did we even get here? Well, there can only be one answer to that." Anticipation pounding in her head, she managed to utter the five-word sentence: "Your mentor set us up!"

Her sibling glared at her. "You do not dare bring him into this discussion!"

"Oh, I am," She snapped, "You are completely aware that he is the whole reason why we are stranded in the middle of nowhere! I saw the mischief in his eyes-"

Her brother abruptly cut her off. "You only saw what you wanted to see!"

She rolled her eyes at his statement. "Why do you always defend him? Come clean for once he is not to be trusted-"

"Since when did you feel that way about him?" He asked, eyeing her with suspicion. Leliyani glowered at him. "Believe me… It has been a _long_ time."

Before he could reply to her assertion, she walked a reasonable distance from him and simply curled into a ball, her eyes flooded with tears. Leliyani could hardly accept the truth: She and her sibling were trapped in an environment that was not designed to sustain life. They had just ended one of their worst arguments they had ever engaged in. The worst part was… her other brother has already perished. The little boy was so young—so full of life! Why did he have to die? Overwhelmed by the flaming sorrow inside her heart, Leliyani had come to the realization that her elder sibling was all that she had left. If she was going to lose him too, she might as well take her last breath right now.

Leliyani whimpered and dug her face into the sand. As she continued to weep and lay in the middle of the clearing, she heard her brother shuffle into the sand as well, and before long he was snoring. Leliyani rolled her eyes and irritably brushed the tears off of her face. Her instincts told her not to sleep, for that she would die soon, just like her younger brother. She may as well spend the remainder of her time gathering her thoughts rather than wasting it while snoring.

Leliyani shifted her position; staring up at the twinkling stars. It would probably be the last night that she would ever glance up at them. She then looked to her left and gazed at the desert that stretched beyond the distance. 'I cannot believe that this is the end,' she thought.

Trying not to reflect on her assigned fate, she shoved the words to the back of her mind.

She then remembered what she had said to her brother: 'Your mentor set us up.' Leliyani instinctively clenched her fists in pure anger. She knew inside her heart that the man was not trustworthy. After the unfortunate experience of enduring her parents' death two years ago, her elder brother's mentor took the children into his custody. At first he seemed fairly decent, but when her little brother came to her with bruises, her opinion of him changed. When her elder sibling did not deem the story right, the conflict only became worse. He actually believed that their brother was making false accusations, which was what infuriated Leliyani the most, considering that he held his mentor in high regard. Eventually, she had to accept her brother's admiration for their guardian; she knew that if she had tried to make him think otherwise, she would fail.

Leliyani's mind suddenly flew back to when they first found themselves lost. It has been four days since the mentor had initiated the time to escort them back to Cardassia Prime. They had boarded a shuttle when they were 'coincidentally' beamed down into the middle of nowhere. It was also 'coincidental' that their guardian was not with them.

Her elder sibling had managed to convince himself that there had been some kind of malfunction, but Leliyani was not _that_ deluded to believe such a ridiculous explanation. Her head pounded. Due to lack of food and water, her younger brother had died only a day ago. How is it that her and her brother was still alive?

She had lost track of time when an abrupt noise sounded not too far away. Her instant thought was that it was her last relative moving in his sleep, but for some odd reason that rationalization did not flow with her. Before she had the chance to act, a hand was placed on her mouth.

Leliyani shrieked and looked up to see a group of at least four Cardassian men and one woman staring down at her.

One of the men smiled deviously. "Great, we have a meal," He said.

Shaking in horror, Leliyani slapped the man's hand away and screamed. Unexpectedly, her brother sat up and spotted the intruders. "What are you doing here?" He spat.

One of the men stepped forward. "We mean no harm to you," He stated, "Everything will go smoothly if you simply let us have her."

"For what purpose," Her brother challenged, clenching his fists.

The man paused. "You do know that we are in the middle of a lifeless desert and that we require water and _food_ to survive…" He trailed off.

Her sibling's eyes flashed. "No, we are Cardassians, just as you are-"

The stranger's laughter interrupted his protest. "We are aware of that," He replied, "Unfortunately for you; we are willing to do _anything_ to live." Her heart rate increasing, Leliyani made a frantic dash toward her sibling; only to be snatched by another man standing nearby.

"Just do what we ask and you will not receive any injury," He addressed her brother.

"I won't allow it!" He shouted.

At once, he hurried towards the large man and knocked Leliyani out of his arms. He kicked him to the ground and stood over him. "Do not _ever_ touch my sister again!"

Before he could make any further movements, the other three men rushed forward and shoved him into the sand; repeatedly punching and kicking him. Leliyani heaved herself up and stared in overwhelming horror as she watched. "_No_," She cried, "Don't hurt him, _please_!" Regardless of what she said, they persisted. By the time the attackers were finished, Leliyani raced to the scene and kneeled beside her brother. "No…" She murmured, staring at his unconscious body with mortified eyes.

"We apologize for the intrusion, but you know why we came…"

Leliyani glanced up at the woman; uncontrollable fear beginning to build inside her chest. More swiftly than she could think, the men darted in her direction. She immediately jumped up and sprinted in the opposite route, but was soon kicked to the ground and stuffed in a bag.

Out of nowhere, I jolted back into consciousness, and the first thing that came to my mind was my sister. Without giving it a single thought, I sprang up from where I was laying and began an immediate search for her.

"Leliyani!" There was no answer.

I called once more. There was still no reply. Getting worried, I practically patrolled the area back and forth. I continued shouting out her name, hoping that a faint response would be the result. Unfortunately, my hope of a miracle did not occur. My worst fears confirmed I sat down in the sand, controlling my anguish as best as I could. It felt like an important piece of my heart was suddenly ripped out of me. Evidently, my sister was kidnapped by those fowl, uncivilized cannibals and most likely eaten.

Anger was building in my chest like it had never done before. All I wanted to do at the moment was to go find those inconsiderate fiends and kick their heads in. Despite my impulse to go hunt them down, I stayed where I was, looking intently into the distance. Why did this have to happen? Why could it not have been _me_ that was eaten? It looked like I was going to have another sleepless night, the loss of my whole family ripping a huge scar on me.

26 years later…

She awoke to the sound of unfamiliar voices. Suspiciously opening her eyes, she was immediately stunned by seeing four people standing in front of her; some of them were different species. One of them was a Bajoran woman with brown hair that fell down to her chin. Two others were human men and another was a male Cardassian.

Growing paranoid, she attempted to lift herself up but was instantly pushed back down by one of the humans. "Easy now," The man said, "You do not want to move too quickly."

Trying to ignore the pain throbbing in her back, she glared at the strangers in front of her and asked, "Who are you?"

The Cardassian spoke first. "You may call me Garak. This is chief engineer Miles O'Brien"- he pointed to one of the human men- "And this is Colonel Kira."

She nodded and turned to the human man who was examining her. "What about you?"

"I am Julian Bashir, the chief medical officer," The man replied.

She rolled her eyes. "Figures," She muttered.

"Would you mind telling us what your name is?" Garak inquired.

She tried hard to think, but her mind was blank. "I-I do not remember," She responded, "I… I suppose I have forgotten."

"What a disappointment," Garak said sarcastically.

Dr. Bashir glanced at her. "Do you remember anything at all?" He asked.

She thought for a moment. In spite of her effort, she could get no memory to make an appearance. "N-No."

"Severe case of amnesia, probably due to the head injuries," Bashir concluded, "It appears that she has does not remember anything about her life. I do not know if she will recover from it, but it might take me a while to find out."

She was hopelessly confused. "Where am I exactly?"

"You are aboard Deep Space Nine," Chief O'Brien answered.

"Apparently, you were located inside a Cardassian shuttlecraft that had crossed the border," Kira explained, "We noticed that it was not too far away when we checked the sensor relays. Your vital signs were weakening, so we beamed you up here, and-"

Kira was cut off when Garak suddenly intervened. "You were unconscious."

Without warning, she caught some sort of a recollection:

_She was addressing the computer when, unpredictably, a familiar looking man beamed aboard. She rose from her seat to turn and face him_.

"_Ah, Leliyani, it has been such a long time." He gave a mischievous grin. _

_Fear_ _swelled in her heart. "No… It can't be_!"

Everything grew dark and she was pulled back into the present. "Leliyani!" She gasped, catching her breath. Everyone stared at her in confusion. "My name…" Leliyani uttered, a little puzzled herself. "It surprises me that you have picked up a memory that quickly," Dr. Bashir stated. After close giving her close inspection, he finally said, "Well, you back have a couple of bruises as well as your head, but other than that I can detect no serious injuries. You'll have to stay in the infirmary for five more hours so I can run some tests."

By the time Dr. Bashir was finished, she was free to leave. It was confusing to her; suddenly waking up on a foreign space station and not having the ability to recall almost anything. When she set foot out of the infirmary, she coincidentally crossed Colonel Kira's path. "Oh, hello," The Colonel said. Leliyani slightly waved, glancing around, wondering which way she should go.

"Lost?" Kira guessed.

Leliyani nodded in response.

"Why not go to Quark's? I could introduce you to a few friends, and we could show you around the station," she suggested.

Leliyani hesitated. "Well, alright," She agreed as she followed the Bajoran woman. "I am not a waste of your time, am I?"

"Not at all," The colonel replied, "I have just gotten off duty not too long ago."

As soon as they entered the bar, they spotted a table of people that was gesturing for them to sit. Following Kira, she sat at the table and stared at the strangers sitting across from her. One of them was a changeling in the form of a humanoid; the other was a young trill with remarkably short brown hair.

"Greetings," The shape-shifter said as he held out his hand. "I'm Odo. You must be Leliyani."

She nodded and reluctantly shook his hand. She did not feel comfortable, considering she was sitting among other species.

"Hi, I'm Ezri," Addressed the trill.

Leliyani nodded once again in acknowledgement. "It is nice to meet you," She lied. She felt exceedingly self-conscious about what she said around them. Everything was happening too fast.

"So, Nerys, what happened earlier on the Promenade? I've heard that you-"

Leliyani looked away and blocked Ezri's voice from her mind. She then noticed that a proud-looking ferengi was strolling up to them…or her.

"Would you like anything to drink?" He asked.

Leliyani shook her head. "No… but thank you," She answered.

"Are you sure?"

"I am," She replied sternly.

"Alright."

Without hesitation, he left her alone and walked away. Suddenly, he turned around. "Oh, and by the way, I found this photograph. Someone must have dropped it because it is not mine."

He then tottered up to her and handed her a picture. She took it and examined it. The photograph depicted a Cardassian teenage girl that strongly resembled her. Sitting right next to her was a teenage boy, who looked about a year or two elder than her. Peeking out from behind them was a young child; a male. She turned the picture over to see a brief note:

_To my apprentice and his siblings_…

As soon as she read that, a remembrance ambled into her mind:

"_What do you think?" She asked her elder brother_.

_Her sibling glanced at her. "You're crazy," He replied bluntly_.

_She play hit him on the arm. "Whatever, it's not like you are a_ _little crazy yourself_!"

_Her little brother gave her an abrupt poke on her back. "Leliyani, I'm scared_!"

_She placed her arm around his shoulder. "Why is that_?"

_Tears were forming in his eyes. "Will he hurt me? Will he get mad at me if I cry?" _

_Her elder brother rolled his eyes. "Don't worry; he won't lay a finger on you… unless you are too depressed like you are now." He chuckled. _

_Leliyani gave him an intense glare. "That was uncalled for_!"

_Without taking another glance at her sibling, Leliyani returned her attention to the little one and said, "There is no need to be afraid." It was not too long ago when her elder brother's mentor had volunteered to take them into his care after they were orphaned. Everything had been slightly insane recently; her younger brother acted like he was going to have a heart attack when he heard the news. He was in a constant state of panic, which was why she had to watch him more carefully than ever_.

_Suddenly, a Cardassian man strode proudly up to them. Almost as if he was a dangerous monster, her little brother hid fearfully behind Leliyani. "Greetings," He said, "I am looking forward to many years of living together." _

_Her younger brother screamed_.

_Their guardian stared at them with gentle eyes. "What is the matter with him?" _

"_He has been acting like this recently. We have to watch him closely; it's a full time job," Her elder brother replied with an irritable edge in his voice. _

_Leliyani glared at her brother. "Just like it is to get you to shut up!" _

"Leliyani!"

The sound of Kira's voice immediately shoved Leliyani back into the present. "This happens to belong to me, thank you," She addressed the ferengi, who nodded and walked to another table. Odo and Ezri gazed at her with curious eyes. "Is that your family?" Ezri inquired.

"I suppose so," Leliyani acknowledged, not looking up from the picture.


	2. Eccentric

2. Eccentric

One week later, Leliyani sat in her new quarters, staring at herself in the mirror. Her long, black hair was curled in a ridiculous looking bun while her dark eyes were clouded with exhaustion. She had barely slept the previous night, and frankly it did not surprise her.

Leliyani had spent the whole night grappling to remember her brothers' and guardian's names. She did not succeed. She found it remarkably frustrating that she could not recall anything at will. It was an enormous disadvantage for her; if she wanted to know what happened in that shuttle, it was impossible to remember anything unless it came to her at random. Leliyani sighed.

She needed to leave and perhaps find a distraction from this mess. Leliyani could not bear sitting in this pathetic gob of which the humans call 'quarters', or else she mind might revert to insanity. After a bout of thinking, she settled on taking a trip to Quark's.

When she entered the bar, she spotted _Garak_ sitting alone at a nearby table. She blushed and strolled up to him.

"Do you mind if I join you?" She asked.

"Not at all," He replied.

Leliyani took a seat across from him. "It must be extremely mind-numbing to be sitting here alone," She commented.

"Not entirely, but it is getting close," Garak responded.

She nodded. There was an awkward moment of silence before he said, "I do not mean to pry into your business, but have you had any luck on your memory?"

Leliyani hesitated. She was not certain if she should reveal her past two flashbacks with someone she had met only a week ago.

"A little bit," She admitted.

"Well, I hope that they were positive memories?"

Leliyani sat back in her chair, trying not to think about how eerie they were. All of a sudden, she was once again reliving the past:

_She was about to fall into a nice, peaceful sleep when an abrupt shriek of horror roused in the next room. Her elder brother, who was lying in his bed on the other side of the room, shifted onto his back and groaned. _

"_What is wrong with him now?"_

_Leliyani sighed and heaved herself up. "I'll go check_."

"_Good," Her sibling replied in an irritable tone. _

_When she set foot in her little brother's room, she found him on his bed with his knees to his chest, the fear in his eyes clearly visible. _

"_What is the matter?" Leliyani asked cheerfully as she placed herself beside him. _

_It took a long time for him to speak. "Th-They came back again," He stammered. _

"_Who did?" _

"_I-I am not sure," Her younger sibling responded, "You were there…. And so was the rest of the family… but they were not you…" _

_Leliyani struggled to understand the little boy. "I don't know what you are saying." _

_Her brother thought for a moment. "They looked like you… but they were different people. They seemed more…. Powerful." _

_Leliyani frowned as he proceeded, "They told me that my task is almost completed. What does that mean?" _

_She tilted her head to the side. "It could mean lots of things, so I am not certain." _

"_They showed me something," The boy went on, "I found myself in a strange place where I saw…" _

_He trailed off. Leliyani grew worried. His nightmares were getting more eccentric each night. "What did you see?" She asked, slightly regretting that she questioned once it came out of her mouth. _

_It was then when she noticed that tears were forming a river down his cheeks. "He was dead!" He shouted, "People of different species were swarming around him…" _

"_Who-" _

_Before she could say anymore, their guardian suddenly walked in. "Is something wrong?" _

_Her brother screamed; backing away and digging himself under the covers. "Go away!" _

_Leliyani tried to stay positive. "He's just in a bad mood-" _

_Unexpectedly, her elder sibling appeared in the room as well. "What is going on in here?" _

"_Nothing that is your concern," His mentor answered, "Go get some sleep. You have a busy day tomorrow." _

_Before her brother had the chance to move, the little boy jumped from under the covers and crashed into him. _

"_Please don't die; please!" _

_Leliyani exchanged a look with her elder sibling. "Go to your room," The mentor ordered. After her brother obeyed the command, Leliyani took the younger one by his hand and escorted him to bed. _

"_Everything is going to be alright," She said, "Besides, it was just a dream. You have nothing to worry about; I promise." _

"_Leliyani, may I have a word with you?" Her guardian asked. _

_Taking a slow, deep breath, she shot one last jovial smile towards her brother before following their guardian into the hallway. _

"_Is there a problem?"She prompted; wincing at how harsh the words came out. _

Leliyani's flashback blurred when there was an abrupt outburst. A nameless man that was being chased by security guards darted into the middle of the bar. Before he could make any movements, Ezri knocked him to the ground and pulled out a knife. Leliyani watched in awe as Ezri hesitated to stab him; until she finally put down the weapon.

Leliyani shared a look with Garak.

"From my observations, it would be very unusual for her to do that," He remarked.

She nodded. "I would think so."

"Well, I suppose that I should get going; I have a prior engagement in about an hour," Garak announced as he pushed his chair in, and bowing to her slightly, exited the bar.

Leliyani sighed. She then sat still; gathering her thoughts.

Her mind lingered back to the flashback she had. What she wondered the most were the names of her family so she could locate them?

Leliyani attempted once again to recall as best she could, but her mind was nothing but a world of blankness.

'This is a waste of time,' she thought bitterly. Frustrated, she stood up and left the bar; hoping that she will yet find another distraction.


	3. The mysterious visitor

3. The mysterious visitor

"_I cannot believe it!" Leliyani bellowed, anger rising in her chest. Without a figment of thought, she stormed into her guardian's room, her little brother following close behind. _

"_He threw me against the wall!" He cried. _

_Her fists itching in fury, Leliyani knocked a vase off of the nearest shelf. "Vain…Manipulative…."_

_She kicked his dresser to the floor and spat on it. "Worthless…" _

_Her fury growing more profound, she raced to another shelf and shoved everything off, the glass objects spilling and breaking onto the floor. Still not satisfied, she pulled the covers off of his bed and stomped on them. _

"_Futile, arrogant, narcissistic inflated son of a-" _

_Leliyani stopped herself, remembering that her little brother was standing at the door watching her every move. She sighed. _

"_He's going to find out that you did that," Her sibling said fearfully. _

_She smiled, trying to contain the rage that was still swelling in her chest. "Well, that is okay, because he deserves it anyway." _

_Her brother began to sob. "Do not worry, I'm going to make sure that he never hurts you again," She said, guiding the little boy into her room. "Why not sleep in my bed for now? So that way you can be safe." _

"_Well…alright," Her brother answered, the anxiety still glistening in his eyes. As he jumped into her sleeping place, he gave her an eerily knowing look. _

"_What is it?" She asked. _

"_It's nothing," He replied. _

_Leliyani shrugged it off. "Did you tell our brother about this?" _

_The little boy nodded. "He got mad; he did not believe me." _

_Leliyani groaned. Of course her elder sibling doubted the truth; he idolized the guardian and therefore would refuse to hear about the situation. Despite his lack of realization and people skills, she knew that deep inside of him was a good-hearted Cardassian. That part of him will come out one of these days… _

Leliyani was suddenly awakened by a computerized door bell. She moaned. "Computer, what time is it?"

"The time is 2400 hours."

She frowned. Who would come to her door at _this_ hour?

Annoyed, she removed herself from the bed and placed her robe on her shoulders. "Come in," Leliyani called when she was standing in front of the entrance.

The door slid open to reveal a little boy, his face hidden beneath the shadows.

Leliyani was puzzled. "Who are you?"

"You should know," The child responded.

She stared at him. "Can you tell me your name, please?"

"I'm afraid that my identity cannot be revealed," The boy answered, "Just to speed up the conversation, I would like to remind you of a few things."

Leliyani rolled her eyes. "Boy, you need to go back to wherever you came from."

The stranger ignored her statement. "Do you remember the desert… the cannibals?"

She glared at him. "As a matter of fact I do not. I was planning to have a good night of sleep until _you_ dropped by. It is impolite to come to someone's quarters at midnight; you should have learned that by now."

The boy paused. "Oh, but you _will_ recall what I have spoke of. Unfortunately, not until I leave. In the meantime, I think it is necessary to discuss the photograph."

Leliyani raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what he meant; she had dropped it when she was carried to the infirmary.

"You are completely aware of what I am talking about…the photograph that is sitting on top of your dresser?" He continued, "Let's just say… You were not the one that dropped it."

Her eyes widened.

"Before I go, I must inform you that I will be delivering a similar message to a relative of yours. You'd better hurry up and find him, because his time is almost out."

Leliyani's jaw dropped. Before she had the chance to reply, he walked out of her quarters. She raced to the entrance and stared after him until he disappeared into the realm of shadows. She turned and guided herself back to her bed. What in the name of Cardassia Prime was _that_ about?

Why would a little boy be wandering around in the middle of the night without supervision? What would cannibals and deserts have to do with anything? Shaking her head, she placed herself under the covers when her memory suddenly flew back to her…

Cardassia Prime… Desert… Starvation… Death… Cannibals… Her beat up brother…

Almost at once, she frantically sat up in her bed; shock filling her every breath. First, she finds herself in a foreign space station with no memory; and then a bizarre little boy visits her in the middle of the night.

Baffled, she stood up and hurried to her dresser. Leliyani took the photograph in her hands. How did that child know where this item was? Were there cameras hidden in her quarters?

Leliyani shook her head. 'That isn't possible,' she thought. 'It is bad enough that I was unable to identify that boy's face.'

A trigger inside her head clicked. What about that? She was more puzzled than ever. As far as she was concerned, she had not spoken to any child on the station. Beside the fact that he knew what was sitting on her dresser, how did he become aware of the disaster involving the cannibals?

Leliyani then remembered that he had mentioned sending a message to a relative…


	4. Mind games

4. Mind Games

When Leliyani finally woke up, she found herself flopped on the couch, the photograph held securely in her hands. She rolled her eyes. She must have dosed off the previous night.

Standing up, she plunked the picture back onto her dresser and hurried into the washroom, where she immediately removed her clothes and jumped in the shower. As Leliyani shampooed her hair, she could not help but reflect on what had occurred during the night. Although hot, steamy water was pounding down in the shower, she shivered when the image of the little boy reeled into her mind.

Despite staying awake for hours after that peculiar incident, the unexplainable shock still chilled her to the bone. Leliyani was terrified that someone was stalking her, considering that a young child was well aware of her personal experiences. Even though somebody might be overly observant of her, she could not comprehend how anyone could gather that type of information due to her memory loss.

The idea that a stalker was inside the station scared all of the sanity out of Leliyani.

Unexpectedly, Leliyani almost slipped on a bar of soap beneath her foot. Desperately, she took hold of the shower curtain and regained her balance. 'Alright, no more pondering over last night's happenings,' she said to herself.

As she reached down for the soap, an abrupt flashback sprinted into her mind.

_When will he arrive from his meeting?" Leliyani inquired who was sitting on the edge of her bed. _

"_I don't have a clue," Her elder brother responded from across the room. _

_Leliyani glanced away, trying to keep her amusement hidden from him. She could hardly wait to see the expression on her guardian's face when he takes notice of his room. Better yet, she hacked into his comm system and erased all of the messages that he had received. Unable to suppress the laughter, she began to giggle. _

_Her brother stared at her. "What is so funny?" _

_She shook her head. "Nothing," She managed to reply as she plopped down into her bed and persisted in her sniggering episode. _

_For a whole five minutes, she proceeded in her laughter. Her brother ignored her until the mark of the five minute interval. _

"_Stop that giggling," He said, "It's giving me a headache." _

_Before she had the chance to reply, their guardian stepped into the room. "Well, I see that you both have been busy," He greeted sarcastically. _

"_I did not hear you walk in," Her sibling stated. _

_Unpredictably, her little brother darted in as well. "I'm hungry!" He declared. _

"_Then let's eat," The mentor answered, walking into his room. Almost instantly, he raced into the hallway and hollered in anger. Leliyani exchanged a look with her elder brother. The three siblings immediately ran to the scene. _

_Their caretaker's eyes were blazing in rage. "What is this," He snapped, pointing to the inside of his trashed bedroom. _

_Leliyani and her brothers said nothing. "This is ridiculous," The mentor continued, "Why would anyone wreck my property when all I have done was taking you under my roof and feeding you? All I wish is for you to be raised in the most decent environment that is possible, and this is the thanks I get? I want to know who did this and why!" _

_Leliyani looked away and coughed. Gagging and vomiting was currently outshining his pathetic 'I'm so innocent' speech. He was free to play that game with her, but she knew the truth. _

_When no one spoke, his angered gaze grew stronger. "Well?" _

_Despite his urgency, no one confessed to the 'hideous' crime. Giving up, the mentor sighed and wandered up to the replicator. _

_After they finished supper, Leliyani and her brothers were still sitting at the dinner table. _

"_I'm going to get you, Leliyani!" Her little brother shouted as he crashed into her and began hitting her playfully. "Hey," She laughed as she started to hit back. As they continued in their mock fight, her elder sibling glanced up at them. "Stop that, both of you!" _

"_We were just fooling around," Leliyani giggled, "Don't let your temper get in the way of everything." _

_He rolled his eyes. _

_Ignoring him, Leliyani looked up and noticed that their guardian was staring at them without a single blink. She frowned and avoided his gaze. _

"_I want to go play!" Her younger brother announced, who glanced at the mentor for approval. He nodded. _

"_By all means," He answered, pushing the button that automatically opened the front door. _

_The little boy bounced out of the exit, while her other brother followed close behind. "I might as well keep track of him," He explained as he stepped out. _

_Leliyani's gaze meandered down to her feet. "What a long day," She stated, forgetting that the mentor was standing not too far away. _

"_I agree." _

_She jumped. At once, Leliyani gave him a weary smile, stood up, and walked on a steady pace towards her room. It was best not to get engaged in a conversation with him. _

_When she set foot in the hallway, her journey was cut short. _

"_Leliyani!" _

_She drew herself to a halt and turned around. "What?" _

_He strolled towards her, and kept doing so until he was no more than three feet in front of her. "I realize that you are exhausted," He said, "But may I have a word with you?" _

_Leliyani clenched her fists behind her back. "I-I'm sorry, but-" _

"_It is urgent," He interrupted. _

_It was obvious that he was not going to take 'no' as an answer. She sighed. "Alright…" _

"_Meaningless to say, I have noticed that my bedroom is a disaster," He began, "I also checked the comm system and it appears that all of the messages had been removed. I was just wondering if you had any idea of who would have the heart to do such a thing." _

_Leliyani gulped. "Well… I'll let you know if I find anything." Without giving him the chance to reply, she wiped around and attempted to get away. Unfortunately, her plan of escape did not work. Her guardian grabbed her arm and held her at the spot. _

"_I'm not that oblivious, Leliyani," He uttered darkly, "I am aware that you are responsible for the 'tragic messes' in my room." He chuckled. "Not that it is such a huge deal, but that is my property and I know why you did it… Sure, I slammed him against the wall, but it was for a good reason and a good cause." _

_Leliyani hastily shrugged his hand off and turned to face him. "He's just a boy!" She screamed. _

_He chuckled once more. "I am aware of that, and it would be considered excellent for him if he had a bit of discipline." _

_Her breath quickened in anger. "I bet that you'd make a perfect Bajoran terrorist," She fumed. _

_He only laughed. "Ah, well, putting aside the incident with your brother, it is very brave of you to create such wreckage in someone else's room. I find it quite impressive. However, if you are willing to do that, you may also possess the strength to ruin some of my more… valuable belongings." _

_Her fury building in her chest, Leliyani spun around and tried to call for help, but before any words could seep out her guardian took hold of her and placed his hand over her mouth. Leliyani screamed through it, attempting to break away, but his firm grip kept her where she was. _

"_Leliyani, try to understand-" _

_Her muffled, agonized cry slid through his hand; interrupting his statement. "Leliyani-" _

_She persisted in her shrieks until he finally roared, "Enough!" _

_His shout caused her to be mute, shaking in complete fear. "When I let you go, you will not speak of this to anyone," He whispered, "Or else-" _

_Leliyani rolled her eyes and slapped his hand off of her mouth. "Oh, please-" _

_All of a sudden, the mentor tightened his grip and violently pinned her into the wall. Gasping in shock, she jadedly glanced up at him, expecting him to give her a good slap. Instead, they just stared at each other, daring one another to make a sound. _

_After a drawn-out moment of complete silence, he slowly reached out and gently caressed her cheek. Leliyani managed bite back retaliation as he said in softer tone, "You know, Leliyani, it is a big surprise that you have done such a thing… I would have expected better from you…." _

_Leliyani held her breath. _

"_It would also be such a shame for you to be punished for a small deed… hmm?" He went on as he tenderly pulled her hair back. _

_She avoided his gaze. Her hands were fidgeting in apprehension; the alarm rising in her chest was almost unbearable. _

_He began to trace the outer edge of her jaw line. "So…Leliyani, what do you have to say for yourself?" _

_Thinking fast, she turned towards him and spat on his face; the saliva making a direct hit on his eyeball. He immediately backed away and shouted in anger. _

_Her heart beat quickening, Leliyani ran past him and into her room, where she directly shut the door and turned the lock. _

It was then when Leliyani stepped back into the present. Horrified, she grabbed the bar of soap and shoved the flashback to the rear of her mind.

A couple hours later, she left her quarters and wandered around the promenade. It was streaming with people, and Leliyani felt uncomfortable. She was used to open spaces, and apparently this location did not provide that. Before long, she _at last_ spotted a familiar face among the crowd. She could not help but blush and followed that particular person into a clothing shop.

As she stepped in, she barely paid attention to her surroundings and quickly selected a random aisle of clothes. Leliyani strolled up to the chosen aisle and pretended to admire the items as she watched him. His back was to her, and he was speaking to a Romulan cashier. She kept on staring; unaware of what was going on around her.

She was so absorbed in her own world that she did not notice Colonel Kira standing beside her.

"Hello," Kira said.

Leliyani jumped and turned to look at her. "You scared me," She laughed, embarrassed. The colonel gave her a slight smile.

Leliyani glanced down at her feet, hoping that Kira did not see her staring at Garak. Searching for a distraction, she spotted something in Kira's hand. "Did you find anything?" She asked.

The colonel nodded and revealed what she was holding. It was a blue silk Bajoran blouse. Leliyani was not fond of the style, but it was not her place to judge Kira's area of taste. "

"It was the only good blouse I could find," Kira explained, "I must say… this shop isn't as good as it could be."

Leliyani snorted. "I'm not sure if it is good at all; there is nothing that is appealing."

Kira shrugged. "Well, that is a problem. One of them is that we are standing in the Men's section."

Leliyani frowned and glanced at what she was holding, it was a male human shirt with white stripes. She tried not to laugh in humiliation and placed the garment back in its original spot. She didn't realize that she was in the wrong portion of the shop; she was too busy staring at Garak. Attempting to think of something to occupy the colonel before she said anything, Leliyani turned to her and asked, "Well, since this place is of no use, why don't we go to Quark's?" She did not know her way around the station, therefore she couldn't come up with any other destination.

Kira hesitated before responding. "I guess there is nothing else better to do."

After Kira checked out her new blouse, the women headed straight for the bar in complete silence.

When they arrived, Leliyani followed Kira to where Quark was standing. "What do we have here," He greeted, "A Bajoran and a Cardassian actually getting acquainted?"

Kira rolled her eyes. "Don't give us a hard time, Quark, just take our orders."

The bartender decided to drop the subject. "Alright, fine, what do you want?"

"One glass of spring wine," The colonel responded. Quark then poured the wine into a glass, just as she requested. He looked expectantly at Leliyani. She bit her lip. After a few minutes, she blurted out the only beverage she could remember.

"A glass of kanar."

As the ferengi bartender filled her glass, it became increasingly evident that he wished to get something across. "Are you here to get drunk and cause trouble, or to have a nice _peaceful_ time with everyone else?"

Leliyani glared at him. "What do you think?" She spat.

"Well, I'm not sure because a Cardassian gul had once thrown me like a chew toy two years ago," He responded.

Leliyani shrugged. "We Cardassians aren't alike; you should have got that message through your thick, multi-eared skull by now."

Without giving him the chance to reply, she and Kira moved to a table that was a great distance from him. "That stupid ferengi is getting on my nerves," Leliyani complained as soon as she sat down.

"What he said was definitely uncalled for," Kira agreed.

As Leliyani took a sip of the kanar, she was soon lost in thought and her eyes were wandering around the bar. There were people of all different species sitting together—Trills with kilngons, bajorans and humans—it was exceedingly odd to her. She had grown up believing that people only of the same specie could develop a friendship or relationship. To have that idea reversed was unheard of to her… and she found it rather disturbing that she was sitting across from a _bajoran_, but for some unknown reason it did not matter anymore. As her eyes continued to scan the room, a familiar figure caught her interest. There was a small Cardassian child standing in the corner of the bar. Her eyes and his eyes met, which immediately caused her to shiver. Leliyani knew from the way he was looking at her that it was the same child that had showed up at her door the previous night.

"Are you alright?" Kira asked, "You look like you just saw a ghost."

The boy kept giving her his eerie glare. Leliyani glanced away. "I'm fine," She said.

Kira nodded. "It must be hard, not having any memory."

Leliyani did not make eye contact. "Well, I'm working on it." She took a deep breath and shot another glimpse at the mysterious boy. He was gone.

As the visit to Quark's drew longer, Leliyani repeatedly glanced at the spot where she had located the child. She absolutely had to make sure that he was really gone. Leliyani looked at her third glass of kanar. Perhaps it was the alcohol that was the root cause of her bizarre psychosis.

When she took one final glimpse at the corner, Kira rolled her eyes. "You keep looking over there," She stated irritably.

Leliyani shook her head. "It's the kanar," She explained.

"Then perhaps you should go back to your quarters," The colonel snapped. Leliyani could not help but murmur in agreement. Dizziness was beginning to conquer her vision. Trying to keep herself in control, she made her best possible attempt to sit straight and inquired, "How many Cardassians are in this station?"

Kira stared at her. "You and Garak are the only ones located here."

Before Leliyani could respond, she slipped out of her chair and stumbled onto the floor, giggling like a child. Everyone was looking at her as if she was insane. Leliyani wondered if she was. Kira's eyes dawned with embarrassment. "It's about time we left," She urged as she helped Leliyani stand up and escorted her out of the bar.


	5. Shadows of insanity

5. Shadows of insanity

At the first sign of consciousness, Leliyani slowly opened her eyes, startled to find herself lying on the middle of the floor. With one eye open, she took hold of the armchair nearby and heaved herself up. What happened? She tried hard to remember, with no success. The pain throbbing in her head was an unbearable distraction. Giving up, Leliyani stumbled up to the replicator, barely paying attention to what she was doing. Before she had the chance to order anything, the memory of last night washed into her mind in waves. She sighed.

Leliyani deeply regretted her actions, she should have been more cautious with her drinking. Remembering the look on the colonel's face the previous night immediately shoved her appetite away. Shaking her head, Leliyani took a seat on the couch, staring at the wall. She knew in her heart that it was best to apologize to Kira, but she did not know for certain if the colonel would be glad to see her again. The glittering frustration in her eyes when she escorted Leliyani to her quarters told her everything that she needed to be aware of.

Ignoring the guilt pinned to her chest, Leliyani strolled up to her dresser and selected a random outfit to wear. Her pathetic excuse of a dress that she was wearing at the moment nearly disgusted her.

When she was finally polished and groomed, Leliyani took a glimpse of herself in the mirror. The baggage under her eyes was clearly visible. Her orbs were flooded with pain, considering that a fierce headache was numbing her mind. The sky blue dress that she was currently wearing looked no better than the one she previously had on, but it was all Leliyani had obtained.

As she combed her hair and tied it into a bun, she could not help but hear a footstep somewhere nearby. Leliyani turned her head to see nothing. She rolled her eyes and snapped her attention back to her current task. 'Stop imagining things,' she scolded herself as she shoved her feet into her shoes and walked out of her quarters, 'I have already been through too much. The last thing I wish is to expect the impossible.'

Forcing her mind to revert to blankness, Leliyani scanned the promenade, hoping to spot a decent place to occupy herself. She reckoned that if she set off to the clothing shop, she may even see Garak again. Her heart warming at the thought, Leliyani blushed and attempted to locate the store she was at the other day. Unfortunately, she was unable to come across the shop. Slightly irritated, she discontinued the search and persisted to roam down the promenade.

After what seemed like forever, she took notice of a sign nearby. Leliyani practically meandered up to it and struggled to articulate the words. The sign was written in several languages, but unluckily, none of them was Cardassian. Growing impatient, she huffed and stomped into the store, only to find Garak sitting at a table sewing something. Leliyani stood at the entrance, blushing more furiously than ever. He suddenly looked up and smiled. "Well, hello," He said jovially, "How are you this fine morning?"

"Apparently I should avoid kanar," She suddenly blurted in a bitter tone as she took a seat across from him.

"Ah, well, kanar has been a downfall for most of our specie," Garak agreed.

Leliyani sighed, gazing at the fabric and sewing material placed around the store. "I take it that you are a tailor?"

"You are absolutely correct," He responded, "I happen to run this shop."

She nodded, staring at the floor and trying to control the slight anxiety building inside of her. Almost abruptly, an undersized shadow loomed over her feet. Looking up, she immediately spotted a little boy's foot disappearing behind the door. Shivering, Leliyani turned away and focused her attention on Garak. "Is it possible that you have noticed a Cardassian child wandering around here?"

Garak looked up. "Being in the position that I have, I am sure I would have seen a small child roaming about the station. May I inquire…have you?"

Leliyani bit her lip. Embarrassed, she blushed feverishly and gruffly changed the topic. "The dresses that are being sold here are notorious!"

He raised an eyebrow as she continued, "All of the women's outfits are made in the Bajoran style. Perhaps you could design a different dress for me."

Garak looked thoughtful. "An interesting request," He replied carefully, "Do you wish for me to sew you a Cardassian type of dress, or something rather discrete?"

She sighed once more. What she had uttered was nothing but reckless. Deciding that there was no other option, Leliyani granted him a false smile and answered, "Cardassian would suit me fine."

All of a sudden, the same little boy that she had seen appeared in the room. Leliyani jumped. Garak eyed her with concern. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, glaring at the child without a blink. The boy was standing not too far from Garak, the mischief in his eyes glowering at her. Leliyani's heart beat in vexation. For some odd reason this child kept following her wherever she went. That terribly frustrated her.

"Leliyani, have you consulted Ezri Dax?"

"No…why?"

"I am merely curious," He responded, "Ezri is the station's counselor."

'I don't care,' she thought as she watched the boy stand up on the table. "Get down," She hissed.

"Excuse me?"

Leliyani's eyes swung to Garak. "Oh, nothing," She replied. Did he not see that child standing mockingly on the table? Apparently he did not. She placed her hand over her eyes. Was it just her, or was she going completely insane?

The little boy poked her on the arm. "Let's go play," He urged.

Leliyani stared at him. "Do you notice anything strange?" She asked Garak, not taking her eyes off of the child.

"Not at all," He replied, his voice ringing with unease.

It was then when she realized that the boy only was her imagination. 'But…how?' she thought as she began scanning the child's features. He was so real—so vivid— it was not possible for him to be merely inside her head. Yet he was, or else Garak would have detected him also. Horror beginning to choke her breath, Leliyani turned away from her hallucination and tried her best to ignore it.

"You know, Leliyani…to other species, we Cardassians all look the same—but to us, we can spot family resemblances," Garak stated carefully.

The headache plaguing Leliyani's head was once again picking up its pace. "Uh-huh," She replied absently, sitting up in her chair.

Despite her lack of interest, Garak continued. "I would just like to say… you remind me of someone. I am unable at the moment to pinpoint who it is, but your mannerisms and facial expressions seem oddly familiar to me."

Leliyani was hardly aware of what he was telling her. Besides the fact that the child was still annoyingly present, the _maddening_ ache swelling in her brain was becoming too much of a disruption. Her vision was turning into a worthless blur, and for some bizarre reason she was starting to shiver. Leliyani closed her eyes, clutching the skirt of her dress with unusual desperation. What was happening to her?

"Do you want to play with me?" The boy suddenly squeaked.

Leliyani jumped, gasping for breath at an alarming rate. "I must go," She said to Garak as she pushed her chair in and raced for the exit.

"What about the dress?" Garak called.

"Cancel the request," She snapped hurriedly. Before she knew it, she was out of the shop and stumbling along the promenade, humiliation conquering her thoughts. Leliyani was considerably embarrassed; she had made a poor impression on Garak, and if she was in fact an adult then she must _behave_ like one.

"Leliyani, what's wrong?"

She glanced down to see the little boy walking alongside her, his eyes glimmering with innocence. "Shut up, you are not real," Leliyani muttered as she attempted to outrun him.

He kept his pace. "Then why am I here speaking to you?"

"I don't know!" She shouted in a violent manner; hastily pushing the button which opened the front door to her quarters. When Leliyani staggered into her home, she immediately plopped down on the couch, glaring at the boy. "Will you stop following me?"

His playful smile faltered. "What do you mean?"

Leliyani rolled her eyes. "Wherever I go, you are there! First, you show up at my door at midnight, I spot you staring at me at Quark's, and now this!"

The child grinned. Leliyani kicked the empty space in frustration. She was only now beginning to test her level of sanity, because this incident was crossing her boundary. Getting up, she hurried into the washroom, where she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Anxiety was dazzling in her shady eyes, which at the moment was her most prominent feature. Soon enough, the door slid open to reveal the boy giggling mockingly at her.

"It looks like shadows of insanity are creeping up on you," The boy teased as he backed away into the other room.

Uncontrollable vexation building inside of her, Leliyani screamed and snatched the mirror off of the wall, when she gladly turned around and hurled the object at the child. He abruptly faded into nothingness when the mirror landed on the floor, the glass clamoring into broken pieces. Leliyani stared in horror, ignoring the fierce ringing inside her brain telling her that what she had just done proved that the boy was right.


	6. Dark agendas

6. Dark agendas

Two days later, the exasperating headache did not depart from Leliyani's mind. The pounding in her brain refused to subside. Because of this, Leliyani had not been able to sleep for the past few days.

She lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling with unbearable tiredness surging through her body. After throwing the mirror at the little boy, Leliyani did not bother to pick up the broken glass. She was like a robot, programmed to hate and make reckless decisions. It were almost as if time had frozen, leaving Leliyani to fend for herself. She felt trapped. She was locked away inside an animate body that was limited in its abilities. It could only go so far…

Tears building in her eyes, Leliyani shoved away her sorrow and rose from her bed, controlling the emotion tightening in her chest. Placing her shoes on her feet, she angrily pushed the button to the entrance and stomped out of her quarters. Nothing was ever going to cheer her up, even if it meant being miserable for the rest of her life. Every flicker of hope had vanished, leaving a trail of uncertainties behind.

As Leliyani walked amongst the other station's occupants, it occurred to her that taking a trip to Quark's might dampen her negative thoughts. A bottle of kanar may sum up her largest issues. Despite how enticing the thought sounded to her, she knew in her heart that it was not a good idea to drink alcohol again. Today she did not care so Leliyani ignored her conscience's protesting words and headed straight to the bar. As soon as she walked in, she spotted Quark pouring drinks for his customers.

Leliyani took a deep, reassuring breath and strolled up to him. "A glass of kanar," She demanded, taking a seat in the nearest chair.

"You seem unhappy this evening," Quark greeted flatly as he poured the kanar into the glass and handed it to her.

Leliyani snorted. "Sadly, that is what I feel all day."

"Well, you're missing out."

She shrugged. "I've missed out on too many things in my life. This time is no different."

Quark frowned and changed the subject. "Have you and Colonel Kira gotten together recently?"

Leliyani shook her head, refusing to make eye contact. "Nope, and there is no need to."

He rolled his eyes and proceeded in serving his customers. Leliyani huffed and took a sip of her drink. As she continued to sit silently, her eyes suddenly began to hurt. She closed them, hoping that it would solve the issue. It did not. Pain creeping up on her, she attempted to speak, but her words caught in her throat.

It was almost as if she was stabbed in the eye, with sharp claws scraping at her scalp. Trying to endure the pain, Leliyani fell backwards, grabbing onto the bar edge to claim her balance.

At once, an excited voice sounded from nearby. "Hi, Leliyani!"

She glanced up to see the little boy on the other side of the bar, his mischievous eyes bright with energy. Irritation bursting into her thoughts, Leliyani instantly turned her head to the opposite direction. She could feel the child's eyes trained on her.

"Why are you so afraid of me, Leliyani?"

"I'm not afraid," She replied bitterly, not facing the child.

"Then please explain your disgust."

Leliyani rolled her eyes. The last time she had seen him; he was playful and acted just like any other child. Now, he was behaving the opposite. "You have a habit of switching personalities," She fumed.

He giggled deviously. Ignoring his obnoxious laughter, Leliyani attempted to block him from her ears. Unluckily, he was the most prominent sound that she could hear in the whole bar. Unable to manage her frustration any longer, Leliyani spun around in her chair to face him.

"What do you _want_ from me you worthless slime?" She snapped, watching the boy's every move.

He stopped sniggering and held his chin high. "There is nothing that I want so far."

Leliyani glowered at him. "Then I suggest you leave."

Before she knew it, the boy's laughter returned. "I don't think so," He asserted, his eyes staring mockingly at her.

She pounded her fist on the table, hoping that he will go away so she could mind her own business. Unfortunately, it did not work that way. It appeared that Leliyani had no option but to _make_ him leave. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and glared at the boy as he teased her with silly insults.

Without thought, Leliyani hurled herself at the child. She launched across the bar and landed directly on the boy, smacking him transversely and accidentally hitting her head against the nearest shelf of glasses. They dribbled down to the floor, smashing into what seemed like a thousand pieces. Turning her attention back to the boy, she noticed that he was still giggling. Leliyani gritted her teeth and released an ear-splitting scream.

"STOP IT!"

Thinking fast, she took the sharpest slices of the glass and flung them at the boy's eyes. He immediately hid his face in the carpet and continued to laugh. Clenching her fists, Leliyani violently turned him over and began repeatedly beating his head into the floor. His giggling did not diminish. Desperately, Leliyani twisted his head over and punched him in the nose. She then pinched his cheeks in extreme pressure, causing him to wince in pain.

By the time she was satisfied, she was pulled off of the boy. Leliyani glanced behind her to see two security guards gripping each of her arms. "Are you alright, sir?" One of them asked.

"NO!" Someone hollered; irritation stinging in their voice.

Leliyani's jaw dropped when she realized that it was Quark she had attacked, not the little boy. The bartender's ears were beat red, and deep scratches outlined the edges. "She was about to yank my ears off!" He complained, "Maybe I was right… Cardassians are a nuisance!"

Her hand flew to her mouth, horror gushing into her thoughts. It was only then when she realized that her hand was covered in blood. Leliyani gasped when she saw how deep the wound was. She must have cut herself when she threw the glass at Quark. Embarrassment slithering through her mind, Leliyani reluctantly let the security guards conduct her out of the bar.

"We'll let the wound heal for a few days," Dr. Bashir stated softly as he wrapped the bandage around her hand. Leliyani ignored him, her eyes wandering about the holding cell. Her heart was glazed with guilt, and she was beginning to consider isolating herself from everyone else. If she did not act soon, chances were she was going to cause harm once again. Her fists itching in shame, Leliyani fought back the tears, staring at the wall. She was clueless of what to do about herself… and she had a hunch that there was no cure to her peculiar insanity.

Ever since the boy first appeared, everyday life had transformed into a seemingly endless nightmare. It has only been four days, and she was stuck in a filthy holding cell because of him. Leliyani wondered if Quark was pressing charges. "He's a ferengi, of course he is," She thought miserably as she sank deeper into the floor.

Eventually, Dr. Bashir left Leliyani alone with her despair. She stayed up for hours, glowering at nothing. For the first time in years, she did not grasp the concept of life. Her world was a never-ending road filled with bleak twists and curves. Leliyani punched the empty air in desolation. She lost her parents, her brothers, her home, her memory, her confidence—isn't that enough retribution for one lifetime?

After a while, Leliyani dosed off while seated against the wall. By the time she woke up the next morning, unbearable pain was throbbing in every single muscle and tendon that was concealed in her body. She attempted to ignore it, but her effort was unfortunately wasted. Beginning to shiver uncontrollably, Leliyani let the rest of her body drop onto the ground.

As she continued to suffer, a human security guard strolled up to the force field that was preventing her from escaping. "You have a visitor," He reported dryly as he stepped aside to reveal Ezri Dax. She smiled pleasantly. "Hello, Leliyani."

Leliyani did not bother to respond. The last thing she wished was to speak to that obscene trill who called herself a counselor. Before she knew it, the human man turned off the force field to allow Ezri to walk in. She glided smoothly into the holding cell and took a spot across from Leliyani, crossing her legs and glancing at her with cheerful eyes.

After the human re-activated the shield, there was a moment of silence. An eerie stillness hung in the air, causing the tension to rise. Ezri held on to her jovial smile, gazing at Leliyani almost expectantly. "So, I've heard about what happened at Quark's," She began.

Leliyani rolled her eyes as the counselor proceeded, "He is not too happy about it. At first he was going to press charges, but I convinced him to…let it go. I told him that you will be under my care from now on." Leliyani avoided her eyes. She did not ask for the aftermath of the incident. Speaking of the situation only caused her heart to burn in guilt.

"I think that it is important for you to discuss your issues," Ezri went on, "Sometimes it is good to let things out."

For once, the shivering ache in Leliyani's body slightly collapsed. She glared at the trill, debating on whether to trust her or not. For the most of what she recalled about her life, relying on someone either meant dying or suffering. In this state of circumstances, remaining unspoken seemed like the best option.

After a drawn-out noiseless minute, Ezri leaned closer and said, "You know, we all make mistakes. One of my previous hosts killed three people. Although it is more of a committed act rather than a mistake, it still shouldn't have been done."

Leliyani remained still. She could care less about what her counselor's past lives committed. Frankly, Ezri was unwelcome in her presence. Leliyani did not enjoy her visitor's cheerful approach. If that dim-witted trill did not wipe that repulsive smile off of her face, Leliyani would be glad to rearrange it for her…

She immediately shoved the thought away and squeezed her eyes shut. She was now engulfed in a realm of soothing blackness, just like she should have been a long time ago. Despite her enormous effort to shun herself away from reality, Ezri's voice cut off the unruffled sensation. "You are probably wondering why I was appointed counselor so young.

"The Dax symbiont has survived eight lifetimes. The last two hosts were great companions of Captain Benjamin Sisko. He thought I was right for the job, but quite honestly I disagreed with the whole idea. I mean, almost a couple weeks ago I was close to stabbing someone," Ezri babbled on.

As the counselor continued to discuss her state of affairs, Leliyani became increasingly frustrated about the whole situation. Aggravation was pumping in her blood, and eventually she snapped her fingers at Ezri. If only that woman would _shut_ _up_. 'It is my turn to speak,' Leliyani thought irritably, sitting up to face her counselor eye-to-eye. Her visitor did not arrive in her presence to drivel about her own problems. She was here to help Leliyani with _her_ issues, and ultimately it was best to speak about her problematic behavior now than never.

"Alright, I will admit that my actions were unnecessary last night," She stated carefully but sternly, "Since I am under your care from now on, I think that you should know what I have been going through in order to help me."

Ezri nodded, her eyes twinkling in understanding. "Go on."

Leliyani hesitated. Hardly believing that she was about to divulge everything to the trill, she drew a deep breath and blurted out the events of the past few weeks. She described her experiences vividly, not leaving out a single detail. It was almost as if she had opened a gate, releasing the unimaginable darkness that was cluttering her thoughts.

By the time Leliyani was finished, Ezri's eyes were dazzling with astonishment. Her jaw had dropped, and she was staring at Leliyani in disbelief. "So, when you attacked Quark you did not know it was him at the time?"

She nodded. Ezri thought for a moment. After a minute of stillness, her surprised expression faltered and she smiled gleefully. "Well, it seems to me that your head trauma may have something to do with your confusion and perhaps the hallucinations. I find it strange that you were only able to catch up on your teenage years… I suggest that we set up an appointment to go to the holosuite. There we can program the computer to replicate certain areas on Cardassia to see if you remember anything. Being around familiar surroundings may trigger your actual memories."

Leliyani's gaze raced down to her hands. She stared at them, refusing to meet Ezri's eyes. Her counselor's offer was nowhere near terrible. The proposal was a great one. If she was placed inside a familiar location in the holosuite, perhaps she could gather some key information about her past. Feeling the weight to decide dawning on her shoulders, Leliyani managed a false grin and replied, "That would be wonderful."

"Great. Would tomorrow morning be fine?"

Leliyani nodded her response, glancing down at the floor. Ezri flashed a smile and heaved herself up, walking towards the shield. "Alright, you shall expect me first thing tomorrow."

The next morning, Leliyani's head was buzzing with activity. Her feet were vibrating onto the floor, producing a ghostly echo. She was surprised to have stayed asleep the whole night, considering that her heart was pounding like thunder. Leliyani felt the unusual need to get engaged in a diligent task. She was puzzled as to the reason why she was undergoing that impulse. The previous day, she was as still as a statue, and now she was pacing the room with unease.

Ezri had told her that she would arrive at her holding cell first thing. As far as Leliyani had inferred, her counselor was late for her appointment. The guard informed her that it was ten hundred hours, which caused Leliyani's peculiar psychosis to accelerate.

Minute after minute, she stomped around the cell, growing extremely impatient. She paced endlessly as if a bomb was about to explode. Time was flying out of her reach, sending her into a pot of boiling irritation. Just when Leliyani was about to holler at the guard once again, Ezri walked in. She strolled up to the force field, a smile dancing on her lips. "Hi, Leliyani."

Leliyani turned to face her. "It is about time you arrived," She muttered.

Ezri's eyes glistened in apology. "I'm sorry… I was caught in a conversation with Quark."

Leliyani glanced away. "Perhaps we should get going," She urged. Her counselor nodded and stepped aside to let the guard bring down the shield. Leliyani carefully walked out, avoiding Ezri's gaze as they departed the room and were followed by the guard. They tread along the promenade in silence, entering Quark's and drifting up the stairs to the holosuite. As soon as she stepped in, Leliyani was suddenly shifted into a daze. Instead of standing in a dark, shadowy room, she was seemingly located in a Cardassian city. Wind raced past her, ruffling her hair and chilling her reptilian skin.

"I was meaning to tell you that I spent some time arguing with Quark rather than having a decent conversation," Ezri explained, "When I told him that you were going to be inside one of his holosuites, he instantly objected to the idea. I finally convinced him to let us rent it out and he allowed me to program the computer to replicate this part of a large city. If you fail to recall anything, we can always switch to a different location."

Leliyani nodded in acknowledgement, gazing around the area in awe. She grappled to remember if she had been here, but the given surroundings were nowhere near familiar. Biting her lip, she at last reported, "I do not think I have ever set foot in this soil, perhaps you should program a separate scene?"

Ezri obeyed and gave a new pair of coordinates to the computer. It pinpointed the location and a distinct slope of colors across the sky dashed in front of Leliyani's eyes. Warm, muffled hues were painted into a delicate sunset. She smiled at the splendid view, but it was still not what she was in the holosuite to see. The jagged buildings positioned around her were clearly not recognizable. She shot a glance at Ezri, indicating that there was a successor of the city to be followed. Her counselor nodded and murmured the next set of coordinates.

For an entire hour, Ezri directed the computer to replicate various Cardassian locations, including Central Command. Unfortunately, Leliyani was still not able to recall a single thing. The struggle persisted, and eventually they reached a specific city that seemed oddly proverbial to Leliyani.

The freezing wind whirled loudly, sending an enormous shiver through her body. The sky above was covered with murky clouds, darkened by the intense shadows. A small sidewalk sprinted in front of her, built in beside a wide road and what looked like tiny shops. Leliyani slowly scanned through them, carefully pronouncing each syllable. "Local Antiques, Fashion & Liquor, Shape N' Style, Laboratory Advancement and Engineering…"

The minute the final title slid out of her mouth, Leliyani was faced by a confrontation of the past:

"_That is the place where Kelaina found me," Leliyani explained, pointing at the other end of the sidewalk. "When she saw the condition I was in, she didn't hesitate to bring me a bucket of water." _

_Murana stared at her in amazement, even if she had been told of the incident countless times. "The stories of your survival still leave me stunned," She laughed, "And believe me… I won't be the only that will react this way." She then glanced down to her belly, which was by now a huge lump. _

_Leliyani smiled merrily at her daughter. "Have you and Teral chosen a name yet?" _

_The young woman shot a mischievous grin. "Unfortunately, no… We are still debating on it." _

_Leliyani chuckled. "What are your options?" _

_Murana shrugged, her eyes trained on the sidewalk. Leliyani sighed. As they treaded along in silence, she began to aimlessly stare at the shops they were passing by. Her daughter was already eighteen, married, and expecting a baby. Leliyani had pondered over the thought of existing as a future grandmother. It was impossible to picture herself being called 'grandma' due to her usual distrust and ridicule. Perhaps the experiences in her childhood years combined with the genetics placed within her had contributed to her behavior. _

_The elder woman shook her head as they stopped in front of the laboratory. "Well, I suppose that I should get going," Leliyani stated hesitantly, "Ulon told me that they are having an important meeting today and that there is a large mess in the main lab I need to clean up." _

_Murana's eyes gleamed with concern. "Did something go wrong?" _

"_I'm not sure," Leliyani replied, "I guess I'll find out." _

_After leaving a farewell to her daughter, she immediately entered her workplace. Leliyani approached the Custodian's office, where she dressed into her apron and gathered her cleaning supplies. She had been employed as a custodian since she was twenty-seven. Kelaina had insisted that she find a job in the laboratory to attain self-worth. Leliyani smiled joyfully at the memory. The stubborn old woman had saved her life when she had spotted her wandering the streets. If it had not been for Kelaina, she would be dead. After drifting through the rest of her teenage years in the woman's care, Leliyani married Ovan Rugal. Her husband was an inspired scientist who worked at the laboratory. He always strived to be perfect, and refused to give up on anything. Leliyani used to tell Murana that she was almost identical to her father, with only a few differences. Unfortunately, a sickness spread throughout the lab, infecting Ovan and eventually killing him. Murana was only two years old at the time and facing a parent's death so young was never painless._

_On the aftermath of the tragedy, Leliyani and her daughter moved in with her caretaker, introducing Kelaina as Murana's grandmother. It was only a decade ago when the old woman had passed away, abandoning the world and fading into no more than a simple memory. _

_Before long, Leliyani began scrubbing the shabby floor of the main hallway. She was aware that her actual task was to polish the central laboratory, but there was no doubt that everyone had disobeyed a few rules in their lifetimes. _

_Leliyani persisted in her duty when she caught a glimpse of Ulon Kurol strolling down the hallway. He was an ambitious scientist that was hired three years ago. The two of them were on excellent terms, but despite how close they were he had always kept the revelations of his business minimal. _

"_Hello," She suddenly greeted from across the hallway. He glared at her, his eyes scorching into her soul. The glistening anxiety inside his eyes was the most prominent feature on his face. Before Leliyani had the chance to react, Ulon turned away and stomped into the conference room. She frowned. In the three years that she had known him, the expression depicted was never pinned to his face. He was always somewhat positive. It was not a habit of Ulon's to be glowering at others, and if he was behaving in that manner then something must be terribly warped. _

_Concern showering her heart, Leliyani attempted to shrug off his intense glare and continued in her present task. By the time she was five feet away from where she had started, she began to debate on whether to embark on her assigned duty in the main lab or not. Something was horrifically wrong. _

_Ignoring her initial instinct, Leliyani proceeded in her job when she came across a padd lying on the middle of the floor. She sighed and was about to toss it in the trash when an interesting thought sauntered into her mind. She turned it over and read the words that were portrayed: _

Dukat has given us specific orders. Meet Elker in the conference room at 1200 hours to discuss this subject.

_As soon as the passage was officially programmed in her brain, Leliyani's jaw dropped. Memories and images that she had blocked for so many years were rapidly flashing through her mind, causing her legs to sink to the floor. Unexplainable emotions began to build inside her chest, horror gripping her most. Fury pouring into her heart, Leliyani snapped the padd in half and threw it onto the floor. Ulon must have dropped it when he had entered the hallway. _

_Suddenly, she heaved herself up and practically slid to the conference room access. Ducking low, Leliyani fought the urge to strike something as she pressed her ear against the door and listened: _

"_Good afternoon. I'm afraid that Elker was unable to come to this engagement due to a family matter. So instead, I will be leading this conference." _

_Leliyani shuddered; severe shock flaming inside of her heart. That voice… _

_She instinctively clenched her fists. She had not heard that voice in a long time… _

"_Getting down to business, I propose that we-" _

_Ulon suddenly spoke. "Allow me to inquire… is Legate Damar aware of any of this?" _

_There was a moment of silence. "I assure you, he is informed about this appointment." _

'_No he is not,' Leliyani fumed. She knew this man perfectly well. _

"_As I was saying, I propose that we create a vaccine." _

_When no one objected, he preceded, "A vaccine that is injected into newborns that re-sequences their DNA. In the process, they will be transformed…" _

_Someone immediately spoke up. "How so... are we discussing more advanced brain skills or perhaps genetics that aid your longevity or..." _

"_It will be a mixture of both… as the newborns grow, they will show signs of tremendous strength and motor skills… they will also possess acute hearing and excellent vision as well as longevity… As far as their mental abilities will go, they will behave like the Vorta, with computerized brain cells and striving to serve the Founders as best as they could…" _

_Leliyani's heart lurched. _

"_As more babies are produced, the population of this 'new race' will grow… and eventually, a new Cardassia will be born!" _

_After a drawn-out moment of complete stillness, another scientist finally spoke. "So you are telling us that we should construct a vaccine for what purpose?" _

"_The main objective is to improve our specie," The speaker replied, "We will experiment on local children, they may appear to be… exceedingly aggressive. It is possible that the vaccine might have a slight side effect, leading into a potential act into keeping them contained-" _

_A woman scientist immediately interrupted him. "You did say that the newborns would strive to serve the Founders?" _

"_As a matter of fact I did, my dear. Like I have stated earlier their minds would be re-sequenced—programmed, if you will—to be identical to a Vorta's brain structure." _

"_So, the question is… should we test the hypothesis?" Another scientist inquired. _

"_My opinion is that we should," The woman confidently responded, "I could not help but agree that our specie needs some enhancements. I think that it is best that we create an attempt on the vaccine and conduct experimentations on local newborns." _

_Leliyani's mind instantly reflected on her daughter and her unborn grandchild. 'No, no, no!' She thought as she struggled to keep herself under control. _

"_Wait a minute," Ulon demurred, "We do not know what this theory of a medication would do to the babies. Besides, it was clearly mentioned that a potential side effect may trigger aggression. Should we not be proud of what our race already is?" _

"_We are also aware of the fact that our specie could become so much better than what it has already developed," The woman argued. _

"_If we produced a vaccine and did several trials on test subjects, our race would eventually be improved because of us," Someone else added._

"_Look at the JemHadar," Ulon practically shouted, "The Dominion has to obtain enough ketracel white to keep them contained. Without the drug, they would turn to aggression and kill every living thing! If this idealized remedy does in fact be tested, what will happen if the newborns begin to behave the same way? Will we have to manufacture medical factories to just treat them for the side effect? We would become meaningless puppets of the Dominion by the time that is established!" _

"_Which is a small price to pay…" _

_The tension inside the room abruptly exploded. "Others than attempting to 'improve on our race,' why are you recommending such a ridiculous idea?" Ulon asked the main speaker, suspicion quivering in his voice. _

_Leliyani shivered, her senses engulfed in shock. She was leaning against the door, grappling to stay silent. What she had just heard was unbelievable to her ears, and yet the situation was so vivid she could almost taste it. Leliyani remembered how the female scientist had suggested conducting local experiments on newborn babies… what if the vaccine reached her grandchild? _

_Suddenly jolting at the thought, Leliyani accidentally applied too much pressure onto the door and it slid open. She reached for the knob, but it was gliding so speedily that it drifted wide and slammed into a glass beaker. The equipment tipped over and spilled onto the floor, smashing into no more than broken shards of glass. Leliyani stood still, trembling as everyone turned their heads to look at her. _

_The central speaker shifted his gaze as well, his eyes burning into hers. Leliyani held her head high, trying to appear as neutral as possible. It was almost unheard of to have become aware of a plot, and to be standing in front of the man who had at one point ruined her life. The person she was facing had taken her under his roof, abused and frightened her younger sibling, caused the death of her brothers—the agony inside her was escalating into an uncontrollable level. The man sitting in the room was the foundation for the unbearable pain, the anger, and the sorrow that she had once suffered within those two horrible years that she was in his custody, and he was more than likely to cause more—_

_Gul Dukat. _

* * *

><p><em><strong> AN: Please throw out a review! I want to know what my readers think about this chapter. **_


	7. Screams of the innocent

7. Screams of the innocent

_Leliyani __closed __her __eyes, __suppressing __the __urge __to __stroll __up to Dukat and smack him across the face__. __Her __heart __was __thundering __inside __her __chest, __it__'__s __beating __growing __more __profound __each __minute. __As __time __winked __away __the __seconds, __it __became __evident __that __the __scientists __were __in __need __of __an __explanation. __Ulon __tapped __his __foot __impatiently, __his __eyes __flickering __with __annoyance. __The __woman __and __the __other __scientists, __however, __were __gazing __at __Leliyani __with __their __pupils __dilated. __Dukat__'__s __eyes __flashed __with __slight __recognition __and __he __stared __at __her, __obviously __expecting __an __answer __to __her __abrupt __intrusion._

_She sank in a deep breath, glancing at the broken glass and back to Dukat, pondering over a suitable explanation. Eventually, she fought back her hostile impulse and said, "Oh, I am so sorry! I will clean it up right away!" Without considering it, she dashed back into the hall and snatched the broom. She immediately returned to the conference room, shoving Dukat aside and beginning to steer all of the glass towards the entrance. Leliyani shot out her best possible attempt to pretend like nothing was wrong, but unfortunately she was not a skilled actress. If they became aware of the fact that she had overheard their discussion, chances were she was going to be faced with adverse consequences. _

_Her heart pounding, Leliyani granted everyone with a fictitious smile. She doubted that her performance was convincing, but it was the only option that she could rely on at the moment. _

_Before she had the chance to complete her task, Dukat's voice interrupted her thoughts. "My dear, I suggest that you finish sweeping the mess in the morning. We are in the middle of a conference." Leliyani gritted her teeth. She paused, forcing her fury to subside. "Not a problem," She muttered, tightening her grip on the broom as she walked out and allowed the door to slam behind her. _

_After what seemed like only a few seconds, Leliyani angrily hurled the broom onto the floor. Hardly bothering to contemplate her options, she fled out of the lab and scampered along the sidewalk. Fear spilled into her chest, numbing her sense of logic. As Leliyani turned the corner, she forced her herself to think blank thoughts. She was afraid that if she reflected too soon on the event she had witnessed, her panic may grow ever more unruly than it already has. At that point, Leliyani was alert on every minuscule occurrence that was taking place all around her. Every microscopic sound that burst near her immediately sent her jumping in terror. _

_By the time she arrived at her home, she was trembling so much that she had to take the keys in both hands in order to unlock the front door. Leliyani stumbled into the living room, closing the door and randomly selecting a place to sit. She seated herself on a frail chair, certain that it would break under her weight. The raging shock still quivering inside of her refused to collapse. Leliyani stared at the soiled concrete floor, suddenly beginning to play the events of the past hour inside her head. Placing aside the disaster in the desert all of those years ago, she had never encountered a situation as terrible as the one she was faced with now. Not only did she discover a plot to create a potentially perilous vaccine, she was met by the man who had murdered her brothers. Her memory abruptly glided back to the moments of her greatest despair. Leliyani remembered how Dukat had beamed them down into the lifeless desert, abandoning her and her siblings to fend for themselves. Her mind then reflected on when she was kidnapped by those cannibals, reluctantly leaving her brother's unconscious body behind. _

_Before she knew it, grief swelled inside her chest. Leliyani hastily shoved it out of her thoughts, refusing to lose her composure. Even if she was completely alone, she could not cope with the idea of giving up control. Unfortunately, she was doubtful of her ability to manage the emotion flooding her heart. Enormous pressure boiling in her blood, Leliyani screamed and instantly stood up. Without thinking, she took hold of the chair and flung it into the wall, the top half of the spindly wood demolishing into broken pieces. She approached the mess and gathered the remains of what was not shattered. _

_When she placed back what was now a square-shaped stool back in its original spot, Leliyani bolted into her room. She slammed the door shut and burrowed under the covers of her bed. Even though it was in fact mid-day, it felt like midnight to Leliyani. Her stomach was churning in anxiety, threatening to prod her breakfast up her throat. She shifted her position onto her back, practically glaring up at the ceiling. Before she could jab her thoughts away, her mind wandered to what Dukat had proposed to the scientists; a vaccine that is injected into newborns and re-sequences their DNA… _

_Leliyani shivered, remembering the argument that Ulon had testified. What if the vaccine did cause the newborns to turn to violence? Would Ulon's theory of manufacturing medical factories eventually be established? Leliyani pondered over the thought for countless minutes. She considered her daughter's unborn child, and what would occur if the vaccine ever reached it. If the scientists were planning to conduct experimentations on local newborns, there was a great chance that the medication would access her grandchild. Her eyes widened at the idea. Soon enough, she began to visualize the following events that were to happen: hundreds perhaps thousands of innocent babies wailing overwhelming screams…_

_Leliyani tightened her jaw, straining herself from smacking something as a reflex. If she possessed the courage to do so, she would clarify it to the scientists and Dukat that she will not allow them to transform her grandchild into a vicious mutant. 'But…how?' She asked herself. Leliyani groaned. It was impossible for her to stop them in their tracks alone. Fatefully, she was a mere custodian compared to Dukat. For this type of situation to be handled correctly, she would need an accomplice. A powerful one that had acquired significant contacts or perhaps an organization that was far larger than she was…_

_For innumerable hours, Leliyani attempted to expand on the idea. Unfortunately, her thoughts guided her nowhere. It was almost as if her mind was a blank wall, useless to anyone's requirement. Before her brain had the opportunity to completely dose off, there was an abrupt knock on the front door. She moaned, forcing herself out of bed and walking into the living room to answer the door. As soon as the entrance was widened, it revealed Murana and her enormous belly, accompanied by her husband. _

_Instead of receiving a hello, Leliyani was granted with excited stares. _

"_Mother, you will not believe it!" Murana squeaked with sharp enthusiasm, almost as if she was ten years old again. _

_Leliyani smiled pleasantly, struggling to keep her eyes off of her daughter's swelling stomach. "What is it?" _

_Murana glanced expectantly at her husband. He blushed furiously. "You tell her," He practically whispered. The young woman shrugged and shifted her attention back to her mother. "Apparently, the Dominion is desperate to convince Cardassians that they are so called 'modest and charitable.' A couple hours ago, Teral received a request to interview Weyoun and Legate Damar!" _

_Her words burned Leliyani to the bone. She had forgotten that her son-in-law was a reporter for an illustrious news service. She found it slightly amusing that most of the men in Cardassia were in the military field, yet she had married an active scientist and Murana was with a reporter. Honestly, she loathed the idea of Teral meeting with that swindler of a Vorta. With reluctance, she flashed him a false grin and said, "Congratulations. I cannot reckon the honor you must be feeling right now." Leliyani was washed with guilt at the fact that her thoughts were the exact opposite of what she just said. _

_Before he had the chance to reply, Murana cut back into the conversation. "We are not sure when the interview will be scheduled, but the letter said that they will inform us as soon as we confirm the request." _

_Leliyani practically snorted. The Dominion nearly sickened her and she was surprised that Damar was still in league with them. _

"_Anyway, we arrived here to ask you if you wish to come with us to the meeting… **to ****witness ****history**!" Her daughter shouted fervently, her eyes bright with exhilaration. "The request also mentioned that Teral could bring two friends or relatives to watch the interview. Think of it! There is a great possibility that we will actually get to **meet** Weyoun and Damar!" _

_Leliyani glanced in the opposed direction, debating on whether Murana understood what she was even asking her. She could hardly tolerate the suggestion of standing face-to-face with Weyoun, considering that anything could take place if she accompanied them. However, if that Vorta-jackal will not be present at the appointment, Leliyani would be more than honored to attend the meeting. Unfortunately, the state of affairs was not rigged in that manner. She was beginning to doubt her daughter's amount of comprehension in politics, because Weyoun was one of the most despised men in the Alpha Quadrant. 'Besides, I have better things to worry about,' she thought as her gaze ventured down to Murana's belly. _

_Perceiving the fact that her visitors were expecting an answer, Leliyani glanced down at her feet, deliberating over how to place a rejection into a pleasant sentence. Oddly enough, an intricate plan was beginning to materialize inside her head. Not an idea that was designed as a response to Murana's invitation, but a plot that was assembled for something that she was already pondering over… _

"_The Federation…" She whispered, her jaw dropping due to the realization that the idea had not surfaced earlier. If only she could find a way to contact the Federation… _

"_Mother, are you alright?" Murana inquired, her eyes suddenly glimmering with concern. _

_Leliyani unwillingly gazed into her daughter's eyes. "I-I apologize," She stammered, "I cannot go, I…I am going on a trip." _

_Murana gawked at her, pure astonishment sparkling in her eyes. "You are? Where are you going?" _

_Leliyani shook her head. "Nowhere that you need to be worrying about," She stated carefully, refusing to make eye contact. _

_Her daughter continued to stare at her and at one point shot a questioning glance at Teral, who shrugged dismissively. Obviously confused, Murana turned back around and said, "Wait a minute, you did not mention that you were going on a vacation when we were walking to the laboratory." _

"_Well, I planned it at the last minute," Leliyani replied, her eyes trained on the floor. _

"_Then perhaps you should cancel the trip to watch the interview?" _

"_Like I have stated earlier… I apologize." _

"_Our proposal is the opportunity of a lifetime!" Murana protested, "Surely you would like to meet two famous men in the whole Alpha Quadrant rather than taking a lousy vacation-" _

_Leliyani snickered at her daughter's hideous exaggeration. "I'm sorry to disappoint you!" _

"_What is the matter with you today, Mother? Did something occur at work? From the minute I walked in here I knew that something was on your mind!" _

_Leliyani briskly shook her head, clearing her mind of all negative thoughts. "I assure you, everything is as it should be." _

_Murana raised an eyebrow. Teral took hold of her arm, whispering an unknown message into her ear. The young woman nodded, not acknowledging her mother's intense gaze. Overwhelming sorrow ached in Leliyani's heart, impelling her to spill out the emotion that was trapped within her. Left with no other alternative, she thrust her distress into the rear of her mind and lunged forward. She quickly coerced her visitors to the opposite direction and shoved them out of the exit. _

"_Mother, what-" _

"_I'll talk to you tomorrow," She interrupted, ignoring the fact that what she had just uttered was a malicious lie, "I- I-" _

_Lacking the courage to explain herself, Leliyani slammed the front door, taking the precaution to turn the lock. When nothing ominous occurred, she sunk down to the ground. She was thankful for the armored stomach that she had developed through the years, considering that she was able to keep her growing anguish in check. She felt increasingly dreadful at the thought that she had hopelessly confused her guests, but it was for their own good. Something told her that they would have never understood the heat of her situation. Even if they did, they would still be unable to assist her. _

_For the next hour, Leliyani sat and stared at her hands. She reviewed her intended course of action, scanning for any flaw that may lead her into potential danger. For all she knew, the Dominion might have played some part in the plot to create the vaccine. If that were true, then it would not be an option for her to inform Damar or Weyoun about the state of affairs. Another route to choose was to contact someone who had acquired far more knowledge on the subject than she ever has. However, there was no one that she could think of who would fit that profile. _

_In this condition of circumstances, the option that was currently outshining the others was to notify the Federation of this scheme. Leliyani was disgusted at the idea of committing treason, but at this point she was convinced that they would have the appropriate equipment and level of expertise to handle this sort of thing. To the extent that she was faced with now, she had no one else to turn to. Leliyani doubted that she would be much of an aid to the Federation if she did contact them; nevertheless she had picked up specific combat techniques while living with Dukat and still had them fresh in her mind. _

_The only question that was defying her plan was how? What strategy was she going to use in order to reach the Federation? Leliyani remained at her spot for another hour, pondering over a reasonable guideline for her to follow. Before long, a full-sized procedure was mapped out inside of her mind… _

_Later that night, Leliyani set out of her house and into the murky darkness. She securely locked the door, suspicious of the slightest creature that set foot near her property. Draped over her was an obscure cloak, and concealed in her arms was a box. If she recalled correctly, it held twelve ration packs that would last her approximately two weeks, or perhaps longer. At the present, she was prepared for any hazard that would follow her trail. As she shot one last glimpse at her home, she could not help but burn in trepidation. The risk that Leliyani was undergoing could be punishable by almost anything, for the Dominion was a sole enemy of the Federation. If the officials learned that one of the Cardassian citizens were lending significant information in the middle of a war, who knows what would occur? _

_Shoving away the fear that was buzzing in her thoughts, Leliyani hurriedly scampered along the dirt road, glancing behind her every couple of minutes. For an indefinite reason, her instincts were telling her that something was horrifically warped. At the moment, she could not decipher any evidence that supported her impulse. However, the impression that someone was watching her was her most prominent sense. 'Stop being ridiculous,' She thought to herself, 'forget your worries and get the job done.' _

_Within about ten minutes, Leliyani was at the entrance to the laboratory. She was desperately fiddling with the key pad, finally unlocking the door and walking in. Silently, she took the precaution to lock the access once she was inside, just in case her impression of being watched was not an illusion. Sinking in a bottomless breath, she took another glance at the door before racing down the gloomy hallway and into the main laboratory. There, she dashed up to the garment hooks that were lined up on the wall. Assembled in a row were the scientists' uniforms with their ID tags pinned to the jackets. _

_Leliyani removed her cloak, setting aside the box and scanning through the names that were printed on the tags. She was confident that she would come across an appropriate label, considering that the majority of the scientists who worked in the lab were women. Before long, a specific name caught her attention: _

Ledara Tain

Neurobiologist

Laboratory Advancements & Engineering

'_Perfect,__' __she __thought, __placing __the __coat __on __her __shoulders __and __gathering __her __items. __After __that __was __done, __she __strolled __across __the __room __and __up __to __an __undersized __table. __A __padd __was __sitting __precisely __in __the __center. __Leliyani __took __it in __her __hand, __meticulously __examining __the __words __depicted __in __the __screen._

_There was no question that one of the scientists had left the padd once the meeting with Dukat was officially over. Leliyani chuckled. 'This could be useful,' she thought as she began erasing all of the sentences portrayed on the screen. Dense concentration conquering her mood, she placed the other items on the table and started typing false orders into the padd. Leliyani felt like she was processing data for an hour when it was in fact five minutes. By the time she was finished, she had collected her belongings in her arms and was preparing to depart from the lab. _

_Before she had the chance to make any further movements, a slight noise interrupted her train of thought. Leliyani's eyes widened, certain that it was a footstep she had heard. Panicked, she gripped the items in her hands and sprinted out of the emergency exit. _

_Her heart pounding in alarm, she made a frantic dash towards the rear of a nearby shop and tossed the cloak into an incinerator. At this point, if someone was pursuing her while in the process of undergoing a furtive scheme, it was best to abolish any evidence of her existence. Gulping down the terror that was pulsating within her, Leliyani scurried out of the block, keeping a steady pace once she had left the familiar portion of the city. _

_Based on her observations, her pursuer had vanished. However, she was not certain if she could rely on that factor due to her follower's talent of discovering another entrance to the lab. The idea of someone uncovering her plan was the least that Leliyani wished to endure at the moment. Fighting the urge to turn around and give up, she continued to jog along the road, ignoring the slight pain that was throbbing in her limbs. After an extended amount of time, Leliyani succeeded in reaching her destination…the nearest military base. _

_Upon the moment of her arrival, she quietly drifted up to the metallic fence, gazing at the flawless row of shuttlecrafts assembled at the other side of the base. Various Cardassian soldiers were stationed close to them, their eyes wandering around the lot. Leliyani shuddered, clutching the items in her hands and forcing her fervent doubt of her ability to disappear. Adrenaline was flowing in her blood, causing her to be motionless. 'I can do this,' she told herself as she vehemently shoved her fear away and slowly approached the nearest soldier. _

_He immediately spotted Leliyani and gave her an expressionless stare. She smiled slightly, hoping that her seemingly 'happy' demeanor was believable. "Hello, I am-" She shot a quick glance at the name tag- "I'm Ledara Tain, a neurobiologist at Laboratory Advancements and Engineering. I have an item to be delivered to a lab called Prime Research Corporation in Lakarian City, which I have been asked to transport personally." _

_The soldier eyed her for a minute, obviously scanning her for anything suspicious. She handed him the false orders, which he took and skimmed through. Leliyani waited patiently, anxiety growing in her heart and spreading throughout her body, causing her to tremble. Fortunately, she managed to remain still as the man nodded and turned to the opposite direction. He tapped his communicator and stated, "Femar to tower, there is an item to be delivered to Lakarian city. Orders were to transport it by shuttle; Ledara Tain was instructed to deliver it personally." _

_After what seemed like only a few seconds, a reply sounded from his communicator, "Air clear for immediate departure." _

_The soldier turned to Leliyani and nodded, granting her the signal to follow. _

_Leliyani sat at the control panel, eyeing the soldier with total concentration. It has been approximately fifteen minutes since they had boarded the shuttle and set course for Lakarian city. Apprehension was gnawing at her stomach, causing her to feel nauseated. Although her husband had taught her how to operate a shuttle, she had allowed the soldier to run it, considering that he was the one who was accompanying her on her so called 'transport.' Leliyani sighed, gulping down the guilt that was racing up her throat. The man that was sitting next to her had never wronged her, yet she had no choice but to harm him… _

_Trembling, Leliyani excused herself and stood up. She meandered up to the metal box containing the field rations, taking it in her hands and sneaking up behind the soldier. Before she had the chance to fully consider what she was doing, Leliyani gritted her teeth and slammed the box solid against the soldier's head, causing him to fall over from his seat in unconsciousness. She stared at him for a moment, analyzing his breathing activity to make sure that he was actually knocked out._

_As soon as his unconsciousness was confirmed, Leliyani sighed in relief, stripping off that ridiculous lab coat and setting aside the box. She seated herself in his original spot, gazing at the control panel and deliberating over her future course of action regarding the body. One option was to beam the soldier back down to the military base, but Leliyani had a feeling that if she did, the others would soon catch her and she would be charged with treason. Considering that her grandchild's condition was in her hands, she was not going allow any trail of her existence to slip into anyone's grasp. Lacking any other choices, she directed the shuttlecraft higher into the air. Leliyani carefully selected a location to beam down the man, which was a far distance from the military base and a remarkably darkened area of the city. _

_Leliyani beamed him down to an alley in between two shops, hoping that everything will proceed according to plan. Her heart thundering in anticipation, she maneuvered the shuttle out of the area and set course directly for the Federation border. _


	8. New Trails

8. New trails

In an abrupt flash, Leliyani was wrenched back into the present. She suddenly froze, stunned to the point where she was concealed in a motionless state. It was almost as if her willingness to move or talk has been sucked out of her, leaving horror in its place. What she had just remembered did not only reveal how she reached the shuttle, but provided unmistakable worries that were now lingering within her: Did she make a perilous assumption that had somehow led to her memory loss? Was her daughter alright back on Cardassia? Leliyani attempted to lift her arm, yet she was frozen in place, too shocked to move a muscle.

"Are you alright?" Ezri asked, concern ringing within her voice. "Did you manage to recall anything? You're very pale," She stated as she laid her hand on Leliyani's shoulder.

Leliyani jerked away, a large dose of adrenaline rapidly pumping through her blood. "Keep your hands off!" She shrieked, taking a few steps back.

Ezri stared at her in confusion. Leliyani shook her head, desperately trying to clear her mind. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to do so considering the enormous amounts of traumatizing information. Her mind was a whirling frenzy, jaunting without a speed limit. Attempting to get a grip on herself, she placed her hand on her forehead and closed her eyes, allowing the peaceful darkness to sweep over her.

"You can tell me what is wrong," Ezri said encouragingly, who was yet again stepping closer to Leliyani. "It is not always bad to receive some help."

"I don't _need_ your help," Leliyani replied in a cruel manner, giving her counselor a disgusted look. At this point, she was not comfortable with speaking to anyone, even if her original intention was to inform somebody of Dukat's scheme.

Before Ezri had the chance to reply, Leliyani shoved her aside and raced passed her, ordering the computer to end the program. She rushed down the stairs with the counselor on her heels. "Wait, we should talk about this," Ezri spoke as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Leliyani spun around to face her. "Is that so?" She challenged, unnecessary vexation beginning to churn in her lungs.

"Running away will do no good; you will just end up back in the holding cell," Ezri stated calmly.

"That's fine with me," Leliyani snapped, suddenly raising her voice.

Her counselor sighed. "You are missing the point. If we stop in our tracks now, we will not be able to discuss what you have gathered about your past so far. I did not get in an argument with Quark just to have you leave in the middle of our session. From what I can tell, you have remembered a key event-"

"Let me tell you something," Leliyani interrupted, "You should have already figured out that I am never comfortable with speaking to others!"

A raging storm was swirling around her, causing her to lack any sense of rationalization. At the moment, she did not possess the courage to inform anyone of what she remembered which immediately guided her to her recent flashback…

All of a sudden, Ezri cut off her train of thought with her preposterous statement: "Look; I understand your suffering. However, you accepted my offer to go to the holosuite, and here we are. You told me everything you knew about yourself, which was good, now you need to-"

Before she knew it, Leliyani was screaming viciously at the young woman, "_Excuse_ _me_? You do _not_ understand at all! It does not matter how many lifetimes you may have lived, I can tell that you have not experienced the pain of suddenly losing your memory! You do not know the horror of attacking a hallucination, and then finding out that it was an actual person! It does not feel well! It's appalling, it's tactless, it's grueling, and it's maddening! So please stop with your mindless assertions! Yes, I will admit that I have revealed everything to you and that I had agreed to this appointment. However, I only did so because of your gratuitous babbling! Based on my observations, please be so thoughtful as to not pretend to have more knowledge than me, because frankly I do not think you have what it takes to become a counselor in the first place!"

Ezri's jaw dropped. Her eyes were practically glowing in dismay. Leliyani glared at her, just then realizing that an unwelcomed audience was gathered nearby. She shuddered. Severe embarrassment was hovering over her, its glutinous impact showering her like a rain cloud. Thinking fast, she scanned through the viewers. Among the spectators were Miles O'Brien, Colonel Kira and Garak. Horrified, Leliyani glanced down at the floor, not willing to stare at the unwavering shock portrayed in Garak's eyes.

Brusquely, that pungent yet shrill blare of which others called Quark's voice began to clamor through the bar. Shamefully, she tweaked his words out of her mind, refusing to hear his bitter complaints. She was already aware of how he felt about her, and it was not on her list of requirements to be reminded of it.

Her heart starting to transform into ash, Leliyani managed to shoot a glimpse at Ezri, only to jolt in alarm. In place of the ashamed counselor was that despicable little boy, his eyes smoldering with mixed emotions.

"Greetings, Leliyani," He uttered tartly.

At the sight of him, she struggled to keep herself straight up, fearing that she will fall over at any moment. She was perceptive of the fact that she was faced with a hallucination, and for that she was remaining silent.

The child sighed, his eyes fluttering about the bar. "I must say, Leliyani, I was shocked to learn that despite your flashbacks, you are still unable to recall who I am."

She gulped responsively as he continued, "After all that you have done to protect me in these two years, I would have thought you would remember me instantly. However, when you have rigidly attempted to forget me for about twenty-six years, I am taken aback by the fact that I was even surprised in the first place."

Leliyani gaped at him, stitching his words together, grappling to make sense of it. More swiftly than she could handle, the realization stoned her: her younger brother…

Appalled, Leliyani suddenly convulsed, horror circling her into an embrace. Before she had the chance to reclaim control of her body, she staggered backwards, unpredictably falling into an unoccupied table. It crashed sideways, forcing her onto the floor. In the process, she had taken hold of another table, which had caused it to turn over and spill various wine glasses onto her face as well as her body.

Leliyani began to tremble, staring at the wounds on her arms: a thread of blood was emerging from more than half of her right arm, and she was starting to feel an overwhelming sting above her left eye ridge. She reluctantly granted a gaze at the audience, only to be rewarded with looks of disgust. Not given the chance to explain herself, Leliyani jerked, suddenly engulfed in blackness.

After what merely seemed like a few seconds, she regained her consciousness, vertigo beginning to gnaw at her. She gazed at her surroundings, rolling her eyes at the result of her inspection. Evidently, she was placed back in that deprived excuse of a holding cell due to her behavior at Quark's. Leliyani was unable to rid herself of the image depicting her little brother's eyes, glittering with disappointment yet determination…

Abruptly, her hands began to twitch uncontrollably. She moaned, attempting to convince herself that the tremor of her fingers was because of her overpowering stress. However, a vast blankness was slumbering inside her, preventing any other emotion from seeping in. There was no horror, no sorrow, and in fact she was also lacking any trepidation—all sentiment that she had previously experienced had swiftly vanished, leaving a gob of emptiness to linger within her soul.

A few minutes since time had elapsed, Dr. Bashir marched into the room with the guard. He did not smile cheerily at Leliyani like Ezri did, but rather stayed behind the guard as the shield was erased. As soon as the doctor stepped in, the containment field was re-activated and he gave her a slight nod. "Hello, Leliyani," He greeted casually, digging into his bag and pulling out a dermal regenerator. "I see that you have some slight cuts?"

Leliyani blinked her response, gazing at the wall in silence.

"Thankfully we do not have to bandage you this time," Bashir stated as he nonchalantly strolled up to her and carefully took hold of her right arm. "Now, this will sting a little bit," He warned.

Unruffled, she relaxed and sat back against the wall, refusing to generate any eye contact. Early enough, he began to run the dermal regenerator through her wounds, transforming the undesired scratches into enviable reptilian skin. Leliyani glanced down at her lap, wishing for the procedure to end due to the throbbing.

"So, have you had any luck on your memories?" Bashir asked, comprising a little small talk.

Leliyani's eyes swung to him. With reluctance, she granted him a feeble glare and responded, "Barely." Suddenly, her hands started to fidget even more than they already were. She was aware that she was not revealing the entire truth, and with that fact in mind she muttered under her breath, "I remembered a sufficient amount to realize that I was deluded enough to think that I could save Cardassia…"

The doctor chuckled. Leliyani stared at him, attaining the verity that he had overheard her statement. "It sounds like you have something in common with Garak," He laughed as he rested the dermal regenerator above her left eye ridge.

She blushed at the mention of Garak's name, yet she eyed Bashir with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"The Obsidian Order would think that they could save Cardassia as well," He replied with a slight grin.

Leliyani grimaced, baffled by the doctor's answer. Unfortunately, she did not remember what the Obsidian Order was, and frankly she was not certain if it was necessary to be familiar with it. Before she had the chance to respond, her memory sprang to her: Cardassian intelligence…

She blasted a look at the doctor, who had happened to be wearing a profuse expression on his face. "So, you are telling me that Garak is or was an agent of the Obsidian Order?"

A smile danced on Bashir's lips as he removed the dermal regenerator and placed it back in his bag. "Well, one thing is for certain," He answered cautiously, "You did not hear it from me."

Leliyani frowned once more, gawping at him in disbelief. She was not completely convinced that he was sincere in his words, although a specific hunch was swelling inside and telling her that he was speaking nothing but the truth. 'Do not be absurd,' she thought to herself, 'He is a human; there has to have been a lie hidden within his accounts.'

"Now that you're wounds are healed, perhaps I should get going," Bashir stated, waving his hand in farewell.

Leliyani nodded, gazing intently into the distance.

Long after he had left, she was still deliberating over their discussion. Vibrating waves of various thoughts were flowing into her, causing her to repeatedly pace around the holding cell. She was conscious of the fact that it was not necessary for her to worry about it, yet her brain was throbbing with questions. Leliyani did not distinguish the reason as to why she was neurotic about the subject when it was obvious that Bashir was being deceitful…

She abruptly drew herself to a halt. 'Or was he?' She practically whispered, her eyes roaming about the walls in front of her.

Unluckily, she did not possess a mental full-scale profile of the doctor nor did she speak with him frequently. Due to her lack of communication with Bashir, it was almost impossible to differentiate the truth from the false. However, Leliyani did occasionally spot him and Garak talking quietly at numerous locations…

She sighed, stomping over to the bunk and reluctantly taking a seat. If Bashir was in fact truthful in his claims, then he would have no definite issue with discussing the entire subject with her. 'Unless, he did not wish to break a promise that he had made,' she thought, leaning over and placing her hand on her forehead. To this extent, Leliyani was virtually unable to think properly, and for that she was determined to discharge her thoughts. Nevertheless, she could not bring herself to avoid such an inexplicable idea: If Garak was an agent of the Obsidian Order; perhaps he would prove to be an enormous asset when it came to Dukat and his horrendous ambitions.

Intrigued, Leliyani attempted to hinder the thought, only to fail miserably. She began to ponder over her previous conversations with Garak, scanning his words for anything that might justify Bashir's statement:

"_Being __in __the __position __that __I __have, __I __am __sure __I __would __have __seen __a __small __child __roaming __about __the __station.__" _

"_From my observations, it would be very unusual for her to do that." _

"_I would just like to say…you remind me of someone. I am unable at the moment to pinpoint who it is, but your mannerisms and facial expressions seem oddly familiar to me." _

She frowned, realizing that if he was truly a Cardassian intelligence agent, it would explain much of his behavior. Leliyani unexpectedly grinned, also comprehending the fact that the next time she crosses Garak's path, they were going to have a vital yet prolonged conversation…

Erratically, she was nudged out of her placid sleep, taking a minute to recognize the peaceful echo of morning. She shifted herself onto her back, surprised that she had experienced a restful snooze the previous night. For the most of what she remembered about the other day, she had done nothing but meditate for a great deal of time. Thankfully, Ezri did not bother to visit her, considering that Leliyani resented seeing anyone let alone her 'counselor'.

Relaxation beginning to conquer her mood, she drew a bottomless breath, absently observing her surroundings. Rapidly, she took notice of a slight difference lingering within the area: It was silent, perhaps a little too silent…

Without warning, a high-pitched sound aroused from nearby, and she quickly realized that it was a voice, "Ah, Leliyani! I am glad to see that you are finally awake!"

Leliyani jumped, turning her head to spot Garak standing behind the shield. His eyes were reflecting a jovial brilliance, and she could not help but chuckle in amusement at herself. 'Such an exceptional move from an unidentified spy,' she thought as she drew near the containment field.

"How long have you been here?" She inquired, blushing.

"Oh, no more than about five minutes."

"I see," She replied, eyeing him with a slight notion. Instead of viewing him as a simple tailor like she had beforehand, Leliyani did not begrudge the idea of being faced with a former intelligence officer who was hungry to take hold of top secret information. Aware of whom she was dealing with; she asked bluntly, "Is there a reason as to why you are here?"

"Nothing in particular," Garak responded, "However, you did put up quite an interesting show yesterday."

Leliyani stared at him, not wishing to be reminded of her actions. "Did I?"

"I can imagine that the relationship between you and Quark is not as genuine."

She glanced away, resentment flustering within her thoughts. "I suppose not."

"Forgive me for putting this so ingeniously, but I take it that you did not find your appointment with Ezri productive, considering that you caused quite a disruption."

Leliyani rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"May I ask why?" Garak asked, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"That is a desperate question for a _mere_ _tailor_," She pointed out.

"Oh, well, inquisitiveness does spread around here, doesn't it?" Garak replied innocently, clasping his hands behind his back.

'Nice attempt to cover things up,' she thought sarcastically as she stepped a little closer to the shield. "I guess we both need information from each other."

He stared at her. "That could be mutually beneficial."

"If you tell me what I want to know, then I'll answer your questions," Leliyani proposed, her heart pooling with determination, "Is that fair?"

"Oh, Leliyani, the universe is never fair," Garak responded cautiously, his eyes wary with suspicion. "I assume that you are the one who will ask the questions first?"

"That's right," She snapped, perhaps a spot too harsh than she had originally intended. If she was to inform anyone of Dukat's plans, the person to consult might as well be him. 'After all, he is Cardassian,' she thought to herself, 'He would understand the pain of learning that our race may be altered.' When a moment of complete silence had passed by, she finally inquired, "Are you or were you an agent of the Obsidian Order?"

Garak's eyes suddenly lit up. "How did you come up with such a preposterous idea?"

"Rumors spread quickly," Leliyani retorted, "Now _answer_ _the_ _question_."

After a bout of thinking, he conclusively responded, "Ah, well, my dear, the thing about rumors are…they are always true."


	9. Revelations

9. Revelations

Garak watched Leliyani's pupils dilate, her russet eyes becoming the most prominent feature on her face. He could not imagine why she was desperate to snatch information out of him, and at the moment she was incredibly tense.

"I knew it," She muttered, her eyes racing down to the floor as she started to pace back and forth.

After an eerily still minute, Garak stepped slightly forward and stated vigilantly, "I advise you not to draw conclusions immediately; I had merely affirmed a usual fact."

"It also implied that my hunch was correct," Leliyani snapped.

"If that is what you say," He avowed, gazing at her intently. "However, you might be disappointed."

She brought herself to a halt and glared at him. "Why?"

"Being an operative for only a brief amount of time does have its disadvantages," He lied, remembering the many days that he had spent on Romulus. It was difficult to think of those two Romulan officials who had 'coincidentally' perished during his settlement on their planet; which, in a way, was terribly unfortunate…

Leliyani shrugged, her eyes still reflecting her stinging irritation.

When another moment of awkward silence had passed by, Garak at last inquired, "Now, you did say that you will answer my questions?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed, taking a seat on the nearest bunk. "Fine," She replied petulantly, "What do you wish to know?"

"First of all, I am quite curious about your sudden outburst at Quark's bar, perhaps you would care to elaborate?"

Leliyani closed her eyes, obviously drawing a deep, reassuring breath. "There is a reason for my behavior," She began, "I think it is best that I start from the beginning…"

Garak's ears were instantly tuned into her words, and with another bottomless sigh in addition to brief hesitation, she told him…

Approximately forty minutes later, he was hurrying precariously into the turbolift, ordering it to bring him to Ops. At this point in time, it was crucial to speak with Captain Benjamin Sisko. Leliyani had found herself in a brutal situation yet she was wedged in a holding cell while their planet was in critical danger. Garak was vividly familiar with that awful sentiment.

Of course Dukat would suggest such a gruesome experiment if he had agreed to receive something in return. How ironic that he would betray his own people after existing as one of Cardassia's political assets. Garak had always wondered where Dukat's ambitions laid after being relieved of command to be replaced with Damar…

Ah, Corat Damar; a long time ally of Gul Dukat and the current representative of the Cardassian government. Blunt, irritable, impatient- If the subject was ever mentioned, it would be a debate of whether he was aware of the vaccine or not. However, Garak was conscious of the fact that Dukat 'trusted' him greatly, and he would not be surprised if Damar was attentive to the operation.

As soon as the turbolift door opened, he stepped out and marched urgently to Sisko's office. The minute he walked in, the Captain glanced up. "Ah, Mr. Garak," He greeted, "Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"There is one simple thing," He replied, "It is specifically about Leliyani; the Cardassian woman who has recently been incarcerated in a holding cell."

Sisko sat back in his chair. "I see. She is also Ezri's patient that is suffering from memory loss."

"Yes, well, I have visited her just a short time ago and I am severely concerned about her mental state."

"She's in good hands. Why, do you think that you are more qualified for the job?"

"I am aware Captain that you are confident in Ezri's abilities, while I am quite skeptical; giving me a reason to testify on my behalf," Garak responded, "As inadequate as it may sound… the longer a Cardassian is confined in a closed area, the more psychologically unstable he or she will get. You see, it is an inherited trait among my people and I have examined Leliyani's behavior closely." As Sisko began to hesitate, Garak eyed him meticulously; analyzing his overall capacity of deception—keeping in mind that Sisko was a difficult one to fool.

"An interesting proposition... but why should I accept your word when I do not even trust you?"

Before Garak could stop himself, more lies began to spill from his mouth, "Oh, but Captain, you never have to trust me. I must say, Leliyani did mention that she felt exceedingly uncomfortable while speaking to Ezri."

"It would take her some time to adjust," Sisko averred.

"It would take her less time for me," Garak stated hurriedly, "Time is something that we do not have in abundance. Besides, we all know that the Federation is currently at war with the Dominion. Our enemy has also made specific alliances, such as with the Cardassian Union. It is very evident that Leliyani is native to Cardassia Prime, as she had told me herself. If given the proper amount of negotiation, I could extract information out of her that might be useful to the war."

Sisko's eyes glimmered with suspicion. "Mr. Garak, I want an example of this so called 'information'."

The Cardassian did not hesitate to reply. "Hypothetically speaking, let's say that the Dominion begins an operation that involves genetically engineering an additional race, which is similar to the JemHadar and the Vorta…"

Sisko stared at him. "Go on; you have my undivided attention."

"Just permit me to take Leliyani into my care and I can guarantee that I will have some information."

"Alright, I will agree to release her out of the holding cell _only_ under these conditions: You must report to me on your daily progress. At no time will she leave the station; Mr. Garak, the use of your findings will be up to me, and none of this will go to Cardassian intelligence."

"You have my word Captain," Garak lied.

"That is what scares me," Sisko said, "You are dismissed."

As soon as Mr. Garak exited his office, the Captain sat still for a moment, contemplating his future course of action. An idea suddenly reeling into him, he tapped his communicator, "Sisko to Odo."

"Odo here."

"Constable… I have a new job for you…"

After his conversation with Captain Sisko, Garak had found himself nothing but satisfied. A spicy appetite for vengeance was gnawing at him, not that it was unusual. It would be practically effortless to seize information out of Leliyani, bearing in mind that she was undoubtedly familiar with Dukat just as well as he was. The adverse fate of his enemy was suddenly weighing down his shoulders…

As Garak stepped inside the turbolift once again, he began to consider the opportunities that lay before him: the destruction of Dukat, perhaps even his death. He could hardly recall how long he has waited patiently for the prospect to arrive. Ever since the murder of his two companions, Garak had been concealing an intense grudge against Dukat. He had been attempting to remind himself that the tragedy was not partially his fault, yet he could not lavishly accept that conclusion…

Ah, Nerell Lang and Kova Za'reg; they were his closest associates during his time in the Obsidian Order. He and Nerell had known each other since their teenage years. How could he forget his friend's painstaking bravery and his willingness to undergo any furtive risk? It was a pity that Garak and Kova was in contact for a less amount of time, that girl was pleasant yet crammed with remarkable energy. Before he could prevent the memory from engulfing him, he distinctly remembered: Ah, the sweltering yet gratifying Cardassia of which he had been raised in, alive with the flurry splotch of activity. The commotions that had dominated his home world, however, were not always optimistic…

Garak sighed, departing from the turbolift and meandering down the Promenade. He had hoped to never endure the burden of recalling the event, but he could not help but revive the memory. He was an active Intelligence officer back then, carrying out missions and assigning orders. Life was nothing but a vivacious street, every once in a while turning in some bizarre direction. On one particular day, he had instructed the torture and execution of Dukat's father—Procal Dukat, who was a powerful member of the Central Command. It was ill-fated for that disgraceful man, considering that he had trusted Garak only to be slaughtered on his orders. In the aftermath of the officer's death, Dukat had discovered the occurrence and immediately sought for revenge.

When a brief amount of time had passed by after the incident, the unimaginable happened: His two friends were found dead in a prominent area evidently heaved against the wall and shot with a phase disruptor pistol. Overwhelmed, Garak conducted an investigation regarding their murder; it appeared that Dukat was the last to be seen with them. That was all the information that he required to conclude that the egotistical gul was the eradicator…

Ever since, Garak had waited unwearyingly, and now the opportunity has at last arrived…

Within the next few minutes, he had ambled into the security area and requested to release Leliyani out of the brig. After the guard attained confirmation, she was discharged from the holding cell and accompanied Garak on his way to his tailor shop.

The succinct path was awkward; there was nothing but unnatural silence. Once every couple of minutes he would shoot a glance at Leliyani only to spot her murky brunette eyes lingering down to the floor. Her jet black hair was coiled into a bun, and her clothes were somewhat dilapidated.

When they entered his shop, Garak strolled serenely up to the table and placed his current project somewhere else. In the process, he selected a mellow burgundy fabric and began to cut it when he noticed that Leliyani was staring at him.

He instantly knew that his actions slightly puzzled her. Garak was also conscious of the fact that they may be in contact for some time while they discuss Dukat's ferocious scam. Due to the visits of his customers, they would need a basis for Leliyani's presence…

"Now, just keep one thing in mind," Garak stated quietly, "You are purchasing a dress…"

Leliyani nodded. "Right," She muttered solemnly, her eyes flickering with understanding.


	10. Rebel

10. Rebel

Leliyani sighed in relief, entering her quarters and breathing in the familiar, amiable aroma of which roamed within her home. She was pleased at the fact that she was now standing among proverbial surroundings. For approximately four days, she had been confined in a malevolent, ghastly holding cell and it was delightful to finally return to her quarters. She strolled calmly to the couch and sat down, immediately staring into space.

She had remained at Garak's tailor shop for a couple of hours; a customer had arrived and demanded that he sew a Bajoran wedding dress. Due to the woman's urgency and the potential length of the appointment, Leliyani left the shop, promising that she will revisit the following day. She sighed, her eyes wandering aimlessly around the room. Despite the monotonous amount of tranquility soaking into her, something felt slightly warped. She was not able to locate the hidden discrepancy, because her mind was rapidly dosing off.

Sinking in a deep breath, Leliyani stood up and ambled to her bed. She practically tunneled into the covers, thrilled at the sensation of true comfort compared to the bunks sited in the brig. Absentmindedly, she began to run her fingers through the sheets. She stared at the ceiling, its vacuity suddenly infusing itself into her. Leliyani closed her eyes, ostensibly eternal blackness arching over her. Drenched in relaxation, she was swept into the realm of sleep…

_Leliyani __shuddered __in __terror, __struggling __to __breathe inside the sweltering bag of which she was trapped in. __She __stifled __a __frantic __screech, __fearful __of __what __the __cannibals __actions __would __turn __out __to __be __if __she __etched __a __single __sound. __She __was __clueless __as __to __the __amount __of __distance __that __she __was __from __her __brother; __she __was __desperate __to __know __if __he __was __alright__…__if __there __was __even __a __spark __of __life __quivering __within __him__… _

_Grief conquering her body, Leliyani began to sob silently, listening to the cannibals' conversation: _

"_I am starting to regret this…" _

"_Rivek, there is no need to worry. What are their lives compared to ours?" The woman replied carelessly._

"_They are children!" _

"_Feeble-minded children," Another man added. _

"_We should have brought the male with us," One of the men stated, "He appeared rather plump than that girl we caught… he was still thin and starving… but he looked more stout and appealing to feast on." _

"_It is too late to turn back now," The woman avowed. _

"_Did you check to see if he was dead?" _

"_Nope," A man answered rashly, "I would not be surprised, however. If he wasn't, either way he is going to die." _

"_Well, if he is in fact deceased, perhaps we should take the chance of traveling back," The other man suggested. _

_Leliyani's heart lurched at the thought. 'NO!' She screamed inside her head, apprehension surging through her. _

"_As I have said before, he is too far away," The woman protested. _

_A different voice abruptly stepped into the conversation. "He is not worth going after; he could not have been dead…" _

"_What do you mean?" Rivek inquired. _

"_Thou cannot assume that what has occurred is in thy favor." _

"_What you can at least do, Haratt, is hope for the best. The only reason that we let you travel with us was because of your extra weapons. Otherwise, we would have eaten you a long time ago," A man averred. _

"_Oh, what a shame," Haratt sneered. _

_Abruptly, something cracked nearby. Leliyani tensed, suspicious of anything that was outlandish. The reverberation was of a snapping nature, almost as if someone had bitten into a bone-like structure, shattering it in half. She curled her arms protectively over her head, trembling in horror. Before she could make any further movements, another noise approached the scene. It sounded as if somebody had stepped in liquid. Her jaw dropped in revulsion. As an attempt to distract herself, she tried to listen to the cannibals' conversation. Unluckily, she could infer nothing but blurred and furious tones, each word mingling with the other… _

_Leliyani jolted at the sound of an expeditious, earsplitting blare. Its intensity overwhelming her, she swathed her hands over her ears. When the blast continued and did not become anywhere near muffled, she was instantly convinced that it was nothing but her pure imagination. Leliyani gritted her teeth, willing the piercing, infuriating blare to end. Unfortunately, her wishes were not the result. The exasperating noise rapidly began to grow more profound each minute—almost as if a bomb was exploding. _

_She slowly started to distinguish a faint ringing… and realized that it was screams of agony. The terrified shrieks became thunderous, sending a timid shiver slithering down her spine. Frightened, she thrashed viciously at the bag, desperately flaying at it like an animal. _

_Suddenly, something landed on the bag. Leliyani froze, apprehending the fact that the maddening noise had terminated. In place of the blare was uncanny silence, causing her to furrow her eye ridge in disbelief. Wary of the peculiar stillness, she remained immobile, her eyes scanning the gloom as if it was a foreign object. A revolting scent soaked into the area around her. Leliyani resisted the urge to vomit. She was all too familiar with the disgusting aroma—the whiff of death and blood. _

_Her eyes widened. The blare that had occurred was not a product of her imagination… the sound had emerged from **out** **there**…. _

_Shock spurting into her, Leliyani started squealing uncontrollably, losing any sense of rationalization, "HELP! GET ME OUT OF HERE!" She jerked at the bag, continuing to shriek, "HELP!" _

_Regardless of her screams, nothing transpired. "PLEASE! HELP ME!" _

_As her squeals persisted, time stretched into endless minutes. Leliyani shrieked until her throat hurt; which apparently directed her nowhere near assistance. Just when hope was about to elude her, someone untied the bag. She crawled her way out, relief showering her as she stood up. As soon as she opened her eyes, revulsion immediately leaped up and snatched her. _

_Arbitrarily positioned near her were lifeless bodies. Leliyani took a step back, attempting to ignore the hideous stench that pervaded the air. She stared at the wreckage, identifying the various inert faces: The man that her brother had beaten earlier was now enveloped with blood-streaked sand, a massive gash curving down his cheek. Her gaze wandered to the bag that she was once confined in; the woman lay on top of it, her eyes dull and white without reflection. _

_Not bothering to glance at the other corpses, her stare meandered forward only to be faced with the man who had released her: Haratt's eyes were crazed with lunacy while his chest was plastered with fresh blood. Leliyani gaped in horror as she spotted the now-scarlet blade that he held in his hand. _

_Panicked thoughts rapidly racing through her, she whimpered, "Please…don't kill me…please…" _

_He ogled her meticulously. "Thou shall not be harmed, Leliyani."_

_She stayed where she was, frightened and wondering how he knew her name._

"_I have learned a great deal of thy life; I've also heard what thou little brother had uttered before he passed." _

_Her pupils dilated as he continued, "He has received callings from the Celestial Temple!" _

_She gawped at Haratt, oblivious to what he was stating. Just then, Leliyani spotted something that she had lacked noticing before: An earring was hanging from his left ear… A **Bajoran **earring… _

_He chuckled. "Thou should not be surprised; I as well have been granted with the Gift of Prophecy…thus the earring. The Prophets are capable of many things… their ardor is strong…and so is their wrath." _

_Leliyani gulped, not wishing to listen to his madness. Although she was not an expert on the religions of other species, she did recall her elder brother mentioning the gods, or 'Prophets' of Bajor and how their beliefs were nothing but superstitions._

_Haratt sighed, gazing down at the now blood-soaked sand. "Ah, thou shall face obstinate challenges in thy lifetime… Ye will encounter unruly ploys and conniving assassins… however, there will be a time when a miracle will surface…" _

_Leliyani blinked, pondering over her potential speed involving the theory of stealing his blade. In spite of her violent thoughts, she did not move an inch._

_Haratt drew a bottomless breath, shifting his head position to stare forlornly at the glittering stars. His eyes reflected his sorrow, causing Leliyani's heart to char with slight incomprehension. Promptly, he began to recite a bizarre yet inexplicable poem: _

"_In the midst of the days of woe, _

_A blue planet shall rest _

_And neighbor the orange planet _

_Of colossal size and sit _

_Among the stars of splendor _

_Inside a vast _

_Galaxy. _

_In a swift and stormy riot, _

_A collision between _

_The galaxy and another world _

_Will occur, sending _

_The orange planet flying into _

_Space and leaving him_

_To his own endeavors, while _

_Abandoning the blue _

_Planet to endure the burden _

_Of sovereignty. _

_Amongst the new and haughty _

_Occupants will be _

_A pallid yet conceited moon, _

_Imbibed with clouds _

_Of appalling and embryonic _

_Thoughts of _

_Affliction. _

_Not long after, another collision _

_Will occur—_

_This time between the _

_Now united _

_Galaxy and a minor realm, _

_Causing numerous _

_Casualties to transpire amongst _

_The blue planets _

_Stars, tossing them into the _

_Nothingness as if _

_They are mere garbage, _

_Causing the blue _

_Planet to observe the wreckage _

_And discover the _

_Truth of his existence, granting _

_Him no choice but _

_To confront the sinners and _

_**Rebel!****" **_

_Unexpectedly, he turned his blistering gaze towards Leliyani, his eyes sizzling with severe intensity. She glanced down, obtaining the conclusion that he was more fanatical than she had anticipated. _

_Haratt took a step forward. "I am aware that thou consider me senseless, but neglect misjudging my words: Thy have been endowed with a superior destiny of which the Prophets had charily contemplated. I, a simple messenger, had not arrived in thou presence by chance; Thy have been released due to the commands that the Prophets have bestowed upon Me." _

_Before she could think, he swiftly glimpsed back. She tilted her head to the side, his actions baffling her. He returned his frightened stare to Leliyani, only to jolt in alarm. He staggered backwards, glancing in the opposite direction once again and raising his blade in the process. _

_After a silent, sinister moment, Haratt finally turned around. "Thou must leave," He urged. _

_Despite her impulse to obey his command, Leliyani remained motionless. _

_He shuddered, scanning the area as if a predator was approaching. Haratt glimpsed her way, sighing in exasperation. "LEAVE! NOW!" _

_She gawped at him, still not complying. _

_He lifted the blade even higher, his eyes flashing in desperation. "THOU, LEAVE MY PRESENCE! GO! GO BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!" _

_Cautiously, Leliyani started to draw away, her gaze failing to depart from his blood covered figure._

_As he continued to shout, she blurred his words together, watching him direct the point of the blade towards his stomach. _

"_GO!" _

_When Leliyani realized his intended course of action, she allowed the adrenaline to spurt through her, fleeing the scene with incredible speed. She resisted looking back, anxious of what she might perceive. As she continued to sprint among the sandy desert, she winced as she took notice of a distant holler of agony, causing her alacrity to accelerate. _

_Leliyani persisted in moving promptly, even if her swiftness had slowed into a mere jog after a while. She made an effort to shove the tragedy out of her head, but unfortunately it was nearly impossible to do so. Her mind was plagued with the atrocious image of Haratt and his terrified eyes, his blade point directed toward his gut. _

_She shuddered. 'It must be comforting to believe in a supernatural force that is more powerful than you,' she thought as she jumped pass a random lump in the ground. It would be an odd theory, accepting something as existent when it would be unachievable to catch a glimpse of it. In the environment of which Leliyani was raised, the idea of religion was generally frowned upon. Fundamentally, she was told repeatedly that loyalty and sacrifice to the State was all that was expected of her. Leliyani's elder brother had once spoken of the other various religions scattered throughout the universe and how some people were willing to perish for their beliefs._

_Her brother… _

_Fatigue sweeping over her, she drew herself to a halt, abrupt desolation infecting the air. She gulped down a wail of grief, searching the distance for any sign of a dim or familiar shadow. Leliyani scowled at her defeat, allowing her body to drop to its knees. She gazed bleakly at the sky, which was now splashed with the faded, early morning sunlight. _

Suddenly, Leliyani jerked awake. She stared at the ceiling for a moment, removing herself out of her bed before inquiring, "Computer, what time is it?"

"The time is 0500 hours."

She moaned, aggravated at the fact that she had slept the entire day. She placed her hands on her hips, surveying her flimsy yet delicate interior. Concluding that there was no other alternative, she slipped off her clothes and selected a long-sleeved brunette blouse with khakis out of her dresser. As soon as she was completely clad, she untied and combed her hair, fastening it into an elegant bun. Leliyani then took a glimpse of what lay on the surface of the dresser: The mirror and the photograph sat on top of it, appearing rather incompatible. She constructed a mental note to present the picture to Garak; he was exceedingly inquisitive regarding her family and would be satisfied to view it.

Biting her lip, she wandered into the washroom, vigorously brushing her teeth and rinsing her face. Within a few minutes, she was strolling into the living room and erratically seating herself on the couch.

An appetite lapping at her stomach, she ambled to the replicator, calmly ordering a mug of hot fish juice.

"Ah, how much your lovely décor reminds me of old Cardassia," Garak remarked when he entered her quarters that evening, "Such a pity that our planet is under the influence of tyranny."

Leliyani murmured in agreement, sauntering to the replicator and glancing back at the former intelligence agent. "I'm glad that you are fond of it."

He assessed the room, seating himself on a chair next to the petite dining table. "I must add, however, I find your willingness to invite me to your quarters rather surprising."

She laughed. After instructing the replicator to produce zabo meat with yamok sauce, she took the plate in her hand and sat across from him. "Feel free to order what you wish," She stated.

Garak stood up and walked away; within a succinct moment he was approaching the table with a bowl of sem'hal stew.

As he settled down to eat, Leliyani gazed at him, her blush growing increasingly evident. She shook her head, gruffly attempting to focus on her meal when he avowed, "You might be gratified to know of the information that I have obtained."

Her eye ridge crumpled. "What sort of information?"

"The vaccine seems to have been already manufactured and given to other corporations in Culat."

Leliyani stared vacantly at her plate. "I see…"

"I have also learned that a sizeable amount of the remedy will be transported to Lakarian City sometime this week," Garak affirmed.

"I am assuming that you have a plan?"

A grin smeared across his lips before he replied, "Considering that I have spent many hours sewing alone, I am sure that I would have contemplated a brilliant plot."

"I'm in no doubt that you would," Leliyani sneered.

Despite her sardonic comment, he continued, "However, there is a question that has been lingering among my thoughts and I believe that it may be an intriguing one particularly to you."

"Which is?"

"Is it in your interest that Corat Damar is possibly aware of the vaccine's travels?" Garak inquired, imparting an eerie, unfathomable expression.

Leliyani sighed, pondering over her response before answering, "I find it difficult to know whether he is or isn't, but I would not risk informing him in case he is active in the operation."

Almost as if her reply was not adequate, Garak pursued for more information. "What specific knowledge do you hold about him; For instance, his personality?"

A peculiar inkling beginning to kill her appetite, she gulped down a stern remark and said, "If I do not even remember my brothers' names or how my parents had died, then I am sure that I hardly know anything about Damar."

"Oh…how unfortunate," He replied, taking a sip of his stew.

Leliyani shoved her plate away, glaring at him with a merciless impression. "I'm certain that I have already loaned you enough data. Besides, are you using my memories for your own personal purposes or are you actually willing to assist me?"

A mischievous twinkle lurked in his eyes. "Why, Leliyani, of course I am using you; have you ever met anyone from the Obsidian Order who was completely honest?"

Comprehending his point, she rose from her chair and plunked the food dish back in the replicator, even if she lacked touching her zabo meat.

"I believe that I have fabric of the identical pattern in my shop," Garak stated as he examined the comforter of her bed. Leliyani stood at the archway, eyeing him with profound suspicion. She stared at him without a blink, refusing to evade any sight of his movements.

As he began to wander around the room, he meandered to her dresser, where he took the photograph in his hand and studied it. "What a charming picture," He noted, "I never knew that you could appear so striking and innocent."

In spite of her growing notion, Leliyani could not help but blush severely.

He continued to survey the item, pointing at certain spots in the picture. "I suppose that the two boys that were with you were your brothers?"

Leliyani nodded solemnly.

"It is such a shame that you are unable to recall their names. There is a strong resemblance." At that moment, Garak glanced in her direction, a spine-chilling, knowing guise gleaming within his pupils.

Leliyani shivered, attempting to ignore his intense expression as well as the thought that her brothers' bodies were buried somewhere in the desert back in Cardassia; their remains submerged in the sand like damaged toys or playthings.

Garak positioned the photograph back in its original place, still not detaching his gaze from it.

Unnerved, she reluctantly turned away and strolled into the other room, where she picked up Garak's bowl off of the table. After planting it into the replicator, she perceived the sound of footsteps echoing behind her.

"I grow fatigued," Garak stated, his voice crammed with satisfaction, "Perhaps I should bid farewell."

Leliyani gave a sigh of relief. "Alright."

"Shall we meet at my shop tomorrow morning?"

"I suppose," She approved, regretting it immediately.

"I will be looking forward to your arrival," Garak affirmed, the door to Leliyani's quarters swooshing shut abruptly after his words were spoken.

She closed her eyes for a minute, breathing in the saccharine fragrance that squirmed around her. When a tranquil, elongated moment had passed by, Leliyani returned to her room. Her stare wandered to the mirror that sat upon her dresser, which appeared to be utterly alone in its presence. She inclined her head slightly to the side, questioning why the piece of furniture seemed oddly vacant. Paying no attention to the wariness clouding her mind, she rotated and walked the opposite direction when an unfamiliar noise emerged out of nowhere.

Becoming rigid, Leliyani turned around, alarm rising in her as she gaped at the blood-soaked sand written on the wall:

_REBEL_


	11. Next to Madness

11. Next to Madness

Leliyani crossed her arms, leaning against the window as she peacefully watched ships dock. She was located in the Promenade; she had grown accustomed to the subtle murmur of voices as they traversed, since she was visiting the area perhaps twice a day. It was always soothing, observing the ships docking almost as if she lacked any worry in the universe. She tried to be unaware of the fact that anxieties were plaguing her every day, but for some peculiar reason she continually managed to cope with them.

She blinked, gazing at the violet dress that she was wearing, which also happened to be the outfit that Garak had sewed her. Leliyani was surprised that she was still maintaining contact with him, even if she found his general behavior slightly bothersome. While she thought of him as increasingly vexing, she proceeded in wearing the dress frequently as if it was a trophy to exhibit. Leliyani was curious as to why her mind functioned under such a paradoxical manner, but every time the thought jabbed her she shoved it away like worthless debris.

She persisted in her current course of action when she spotted two men strolling in her direction, and realized that they were Garak and Bashir. She wrinkled her nose, reluctantly smiling as they drew nearer.

"Care for some company?" Bashir inquired.

"I do not mind," Leliyani muttered, disinclination flaring in her chest.

"Ah, what a pleasant day this is," Garak commented, a sarcastic timbre chiming within his voice. Leliyani avoided his blue-eyed gaze, peering out the window once more.

Bashir edged closer to it, his eyes focused on the star-clouded scene. "A beautiful view."

"Yes, it reminds me of home," Leliyani mumbled.

Garak's pupils flickered, an inscrutable gleam washing upon his face. "Speaking of home, I have heard that a scientific corporation in Lakarian City has been bombed."

She stared at him.

Bashir's brow creased. "Do they know who is responsible?"

"I can only imagine that a search for the culprit is already underway," Garak avowed, his eyes virtually attached to Leliyani.

She suppressed a shudder, sustaining a silent and tranquil demeanor as she returned his stare. He held her gaze for a moment, turning his head when Bashir called out to someone. "Commander Worf! Be sure to take a trip to the infirmary so I can double check your shoulder."

Leliyani shifted her gaze to a male Klingon, who was standing in the opposite side of the Promenade and wearing a Starfleet uniform. He glared at Bashir, imparting him a brisk nod and conducting a steady pace towards the turbolift. She shrugged, contemplating the theory of how Klingons were more difficult to handle than Humans. However, after weeks of managing business with Garak, she was not entirely certain if a former intelligence agent was improved than either of them.

As her ears began to absorb the typical reverberations around her, she resumed staring out the window when a bizarre headache declared its entrance. Leliyani closed her eyes, fatigue invading her thoughts. When she lifted her head to shoot a glance at Garak and Bashir, she realized that she was located in a discrete place…

_She was addressing the computer when, unpredictably, a familiar looking man beamed aboard the shuttle. She rose from her seat and turned to face him. _

"_Ah, Leliyani, it has been such a long time." Dukat gave a mischievous grin. _

_Fear swelled in her heart. "No…it can't be!" She cried, facing the abrupt fact that her plan to reach the Federation has failed. She glowered at him, her severe trepidation quickly morphing into torrid fury. He scanned the shuttle, wearing a slight smirk on his face. The only accomplishment that Leliyani wished to perform at the moment was to walk up to him and pound him to death. However, she doubted her strength due to the weakness vanquishing her body. _

"_You have grown into a beautiful woman… I always knew you were very resourceful…." Dukat stated, fixing her with his enigmatic expression. _

_Unwilling to control her wrath any longer, Leliyani released an earsplitting scream, grabbing the nearby box of field rations and hurling it at her brothers' murderer. He dodged, the box flying past him like mere rubble. "How did you beam into here?" She bellowed, clenching her fists. _

_Dukat recovered his stance. "I am a powerful person; I have my ways." _

_She snorted. "Just like you have your ways of stranding people in a desert to eradicate them!" _

_He blinked, staring at her for a moment. "I see that you remember perfectly." _

_Leliyani met his gaze, silently unleashing her anguish and the agony of the tortured soul that she really was. "Over time, no matter how much you try to place it behind, you fail to forget your brothers dying miserable deaths and the egotistical killer who was responsible for them." _

_Dukat plunged into a brief episode of laughter. "Ah, beautiful **and** vengeful," He affirmed, persisting in his unnecessary snicker. _

"_What do you expect? They were the only family yet cherished ones that I had left and you killed them!" She nearly shouted, a profound appetite for revenge eagerly gnawing at her. _

"_Did I? You were given a fighting chance-" _

_Leliyani began to raise an objection but regardless of her protests he continued to utter his conceited speech, "Believe me, my dear, it was never my intention to harm you or your brothers… the weight of the Bajoran Occupation was pushing down my shoulders and I-" _

"_So, as the final solution, you beamed us into a desert that lacked any food and water while you assumed that we would survive? I know for a fact that you are not **that** deluded! You had every intention of ridding yourself of us, no matter what it took! Perhaps even the exact details and casualties of the aftermath will satisfy you." _

"_Leliyani, I am quite aware of the sad story," Dukat responded, "According to a very reliable source, your younger brother had died of malnourishment when a group of cannibals subsequently kidnapped you. It was then when you were supposedly 'eaten.'" He laughed. "It is such a wonder that you were able to stay alive despite the troubles you had faced." _

_She gawked at him, austerely curious as to how he had attained the information. Before she had the chance to reply, Dukat stepped closer. Leliyani compressed her fists even more, blended emotions wriggling within her. _

"_Oh, Leliyani, inducing yourself into the illusion that you can save Cardassia," He taunted, beginning to tenderly stroke her cheek, "Creating false orders, knocking out a loyal officer and purloining a shuttlecraft—you never cease to amaze me." _

_Leliyani grappled to breathe consistently. _

"_Even so, a substantial quantity of the vaccine is already in the procedure of being engineered," He drone on, "Which makes it impossible for you to prevent its purpose, whether you happen to contact the Federation or not." _

_She evaded his stare, battling the poignant turmoil that was threatening to escape her body. Just then, she took notice of his hand that was hidden halfway behind his back, and it concealed a phase disruptor pistol. Leliyani panicked, tackling the realization that if she did not act soon enough, her death and the mutation of her grandchild would be the fatalities. Thinking quickly, she gathered her strength and punched Dukat in the nose, snatching the disruptor out of his grasp while striking him with another blow in the right eye. _

_Reacting fast, he slapped the weapon out of her hand, smacking her severely across the face. She pounded her fist on his neck, forcing him onto the floor and battering his head until she was convinced that he had passed out. Leliyani wiped the sweat off of her forehead, standing up and meandering to the control panel. Just as she deemed the struggle was over, a hand grabbed her ankle, imposing her to the flooring and causing her agonized scream to echo through the shuttle. _

"Leliyani!" At that, she snapped back into the present, her recent memory perturbing her greatly. She shifted her gaze to Bashir and Garak, grappling not to reveal her troubles. They gaped at her, a similar guise of concern shimmering within their eyes. "Are you alright?" Bashir asked.

"I'm fine," Leliyani spoke, rotating around and sauntering to the opposite route.

"Why is it always so warm in here?" Weyoun complained, veering over to the controls and inspecting the temperature of the room. Exasperation flickered furiously inside of him when he received the result: The heat was classified as forty-three degrees Celsius. 'Cardassians,' He thought indignantly, 'They never seem to listen.' He turned to Damar. "How many times have I told you that the temperature restrictions are kept below twenty degrees Celsius?"

"I don't see why we have to suffer," Damar stated, a smidgen of entertainment flashing in his eyes as he procured a sip of his sordid kanar.

"It is under the _Founder's_ orders!"

I still don't see the point," Damar avowed, "She hasn't been in here in days!"

"Nevertheless it is under her instructions and you are required to _obey_ them," Weyoun emphasized, his annoyance increasing due to the Cardassians' desire of heat and the sense of conformity that they ostensibly lack. He exhaled raucously, reducing the temperature and taking a slim delight in the swift silence. Before he seized the opportunity to criticize Damar on another matter, the entrance to the room swooshed open. Along with two JemHadar guards, his God stepped in, her changeling face aimed at him.

"Founder," He whispered, his heart drenched in admiration as he bowed down to greet her. "You have arrived unexpectedly."

"I shall come when I please," She averred, eyeing him with a hint of disapproval. Weyoun retrieved his posture, a twinge of pain chewing at his self-esteem.

Damar poured a separate glass of his repugnant alcohol and motioned it towards the Founder. "Welcome back. Kanar?"

The Vorta glared at him. Damar was perfectly aware that changelings did not carry the lifestyle of eating nor drinking, which caused Weyoun's hatred for that arrogant Cardassian to burn even more.

The Founder sighed. "You tire me of your antics," She grumbled. "You are dismissed."

He placed down the glass, shooting an inquisitive glance at Weyoun before exiting the room.

For what seemed like a tedious, elongated minute, they stood alone in the excruciating stillness. His God surveyed the area, her face leisurely becoming parched with illness. A stab of sympathy darted through him as she secured her divine yet ailing guise on him. "I see that you have taken notice of the worsening symptoms of the infection."

"I assure you, a team of experienced Vorta doctors are working endlessly to find a cure," Weyoun affirmed.

"See that they are," She replied, "I presume that the other group of Vorta scientists has made some progress?"

The commiseration that was bloating inside of him expanded. "I guarantee that a detailed journal of their findings will be provided as soon as they have completed their research."

"Good. I Suppose there is a reason for this intolerable heat?"

Weyoun's jaw tightened. "I have dealt with the matter; the temperature change should take effect quite soon." He stared at her, his mind reflecting on the incident of which occurred before her sudden appearance. A tad of frustration still fizzed in him, even if that brute of a Cardassian was absent at the moment. His dissatisfaction overcoming his mood, he abruptly divulged, "How long will it be until we are finished with handling the Cardassians?"

The Founder hesitated, granting him with an eloquent, perplexing expression. "Do not worry; a transaction involving them is currently in process."


End file.
